Teaching children to care for their lungs in primary schools in Portugal

In November and December 2025, volunteers from the Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine visited two primary schools in Agrupamento de Escolas Dom José I, with the aim of teaching children how to protect their lungs and giving families the tools to support healthy habits at home.

Dr Cláudia Vicente, Dr Carla Gomes, Dr Ana Fernandes and Dr Ana Margarida Cruz led the initiative, supported by eight general and family medicine residents and three cardiorespiratory physiology technicians who carried out spirometry testing.

Supporting children and parents to care for their lungs

The team designed age-appropriate educational sessions that kept young students engaged. They showed educational videos, used interactive questionnaires to measure what children learned, and encouraged plenty of questions and hands-on participation.

Knowing that parents and guardians play a crucial role in reinforcing healthy habits, the team also scheduled educational sessions at times that worked around parents’ jobs, making it easier for families to attend and participate in lessons.

Real results and lessons on lung health for life

Over the course of the visits, the team completed 305 spirometry tests with students, giving families valuable insights into their children’s lung health.

“Teaching children about lung health now means they can make informed choices as they grow. Prevention starts with education, and we are very grateful to the schools for supporting this initiative and their students’ health. Seeing the children’s curiosity and enthusiasm during these sessions was incredible. They asked thoughtful questions and genuinely wanted to learn how to keep their lungs healthy” said Dr. Cláudia Vicente.

By bringing lung health education directly into schools and involving both children and their families, the team is helping the next generation understand the importance of protecting their lungs from an early age.

This project is co-funded under the EU4Health Programme 2021–2027 under grant agreement no. 101160880.