Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Breast Surgical Oncologist at Hospital São Francisco Xavier, shared on LinkedIn:
“Last week by 23 of July, taking office as Co-Coordinator of the Global Health and Health Governance Working Group of the Portuguese Medical Order (Ordem dos Medicos) has been a moment of profound personal significance and responsibility.
Throughout my journey as an MD, breast surgical oncologist, humanitarian worker, researcher and academic, I have come to understand that health is not built solely within hospitals. It is shaped by social, economic and environmental conditions, by the strength of health systems, by international cooperation, and by our ability to translate knowledge into effective policies and meaningful action.
Cancer, and breast cancer in particular, offers a powerful lens to understand global health inequalities. A patient’s outcomes can still depend greatly on where she lives, the resources available to her, her level of health literacy, and her ability to access timely screening, diagnosis, specialized surgery, systemic treatment and long-term follow-up. Addressing these disparities requires more than clinical excellence: it requires strong governance, resilient health systems and a sustained commitment to equity across the entire cancer care pathway.
I am honored to undertake this journey alongside a distinguished and multidisciplinary group of colleagues: Vasco Fonseca, Lúcio Meneses De Almeida, Guida Da Ponte, Fatima Cardoso, Armando Rocha, Carina Castro Silva, Jorge Espírito Santo, João Carlos Ribeiro, Mariana Neto and Mario Jorge Neves who have accepted this challenge, bringing diverse experience, knowledge and perspectives to a shared mission.
My sincere appreciation also goes to the Chair of the Portuguese Medical Order Carlos Cortes for his openness to our proposal and for his vision and support in establishing this Working Group, for recognizing the importance of placing global health and health governance at the heart of our profession’s contribution to society.
This appointment reflects a conviction that has long guided my work: today’s major health challenges demand a global, multidisciplinary and deeply human approach, one that advances equitable access to care, integrates sustainability, ensures that innovation benefits every patient and prepares health systems and their stakeholders to respond effectively to emerging and future pressures.
I embrace this role with pride, but above all with a strong sense of responsibility. I look forward to contributing my clinical, academic and international experience to thoughtful dialogue and practical initiatives capable of creating meaningful impact, in Portugal and beyond. Global health begins in every community, and every patient matters, regardless of geography or circumstance.”
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