Rita Sa Machado appointed Director General of Health

As of November 1, Dr. Rita Sa Machado will become the new director general of health, replacing Graça Freitas, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.

The doctor and advisor to the World Health Organization on health and migration will take up the post for a period of five years.

According to a bibliography released by the government, Rita Sa Machado, 36, graduated from Nova Medical School and has a master’s degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, as well as training in travel and population medicine. Furniture. , at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. He also holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from Catolica Porto Business School and a Postgraduate Degree in Medical Education from Harvard Medical School.

“The new Director-General of Health worked in Geneva as an adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO) on health and migration. Previously, she was Advisor for Migration and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Representative of the Mission in Portugal and Head of Epidemiology and Statistics at the Directorate General of Health (DGS),” the government note said.

Rita Sa Machado began working as a doctor at the Hospital Center of Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho and also worked in public health at the General Directorate of Health, the Regional Health Directorate of the North and the Regional Health Directorate of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo (group Almada Seixal medical centers).

“The Minister of Health wishes the new Director General of Health every success and takes this moment to renew his gratitude to the previous Director Graça Freitas for the dedication and quality of work carried out over several years dedicated to this institution and public service.

A new competition will also be announced for the position of Deputy Director General of Health, which will continue to be held by Andre Peralta Santos,” the statement said.