Azores Situation Report Wednesday 21st May 2025

Political disbelief and low levels of education explain abstention in the Azores

Professor of Political Science at the University of the Azores, Luís Andrade, pointed to disbelief in the political class, lack of education and levels of exclusion to explain the fact that the Azores were the region with the highest abstention rate in the legislative elections.

“A substantial part of the population has stopped believing in politics as it is today. The party apparatus, of several parties, does not satisfy the aspirations of a part of the population”, argued the professor of Political Science at the University of the Azores.

The Azores were the electoral district with the highest abstention rate in Sunday’s legislative elections, with 56.19%, while Braga was the district with the lowest abstention, 30.29%.

Of the 10 municipalities with the highest abstention rate, eight are in the Azores electoral district, with Ribeira Grande leading, with 62.34% and, in second place, Vila Franca do Campo, with 61.38%.

In fourth place comes Vila do Porto (59.78%), followed by Povoação (59.62%), Calheta (59.20%), Velas (57.31%), Vila Praia da Vitória (57.04%) and Lagoa (56.79%).

For Luís Andrade, there is a “disbelief that the party system cannot meet the aspirations” of the population, especially among the youngest.

The retired professor also highlighted the social context of the Azores, marked by “alarming levels of poverty” and low schooling rates.

“It’s a combination of factors such as poverty, social exclusion, and people’s lack of education. The lack of political culture also helps to explain abstention. People don’t identify with the parties, especially those with less education,” he added.

According to data released in January by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, the Azores have the highest poverty (24.2%) and social exclusion (28.4%) rates in the country.

The archipelago also has an early education and training dropout rate of 19.8%, well above the national average (6.6%), according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

University professor Luís Andrade considered that political parties should be “concerned with studying the problem” of abstention in depth but warned that the political participation of citizens should be a mission for “the whole of society”.

“It is not easy, it is not just the mission of political parties, it is the mission of the whole society. Starting from schools, whether primary, secondary or even university, to start making people of young ages actively participate from an early age to encourage them to vote in any type of election”, highlighted the political scientist.

HDES begins monitoring patients at home this summer

The Home Hospitalization Unit will start this summer with five beds outside the hospital, whose patients will be cared for at home and accompanied by a medical and nursing team.

The Home Hospitalization Unit (UHD) at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES) will start this summer, until September, with five beds outside the hospital context, which will receive daily visits from a medical and nursing team, from Monday to Friday, during the morning period.

The presentation of the new UHD was held yesterday in the Auditorium of the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, followed by a visit to the unit’s facilities, in the presence of the president of the board of directors and clinical director, Paula Macedo, as well as the medical and nursing coordinators of the UHD, respectively Marisa Rocha and Andreia Sousa.

The coordinating doctor of the HDES Home Hospitalization Unit, Marisa Rocha, explained that “home hospitalization has advantages at all levels, first and foremost for the patient, who is no longer hospitalized and can receive the same level of care at home, with the same scientific rigor and with humanization and proximity to health professionals”. This is because, in a hospital setting and with several patients hospitalized, it is not always easy for the patient to speak to the doctor or nurse when they want to.

But home hospitalization also has benefits at a social level, “because we can, by being in the patient’s home, increase health literacy, with benefits for patients and their families”, explained Marisa Rocha, also avoiding many rehospitalization situations.

Furthermore, in a family environment, risks for the patient are reduced when they are in a hospital context, such as falls, confusion syndromes or hospital infections, stated the coordinating doctor of the UHD at Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 7th May 2025

Administration wants to resize Ponta Delgada’s HDES and create a hospital of the future

The administration of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) in Ponta Delgada reiterated the objective of resizing the unit to create a “hospital of the future”, maintaining the intention of launching the project by the end of June

In a session commemorating the fire that devastated HDES on May 4th, 2024, the president of the hospital’s board of directors said she wanted to “leave not only a message of confidence, but of hope” for the future of the largest hospital in the Azores.

“The hospital is not just about repairing or reorganizing, it is also about resizing it to be a hospital of the future. We want it to be able to provide the best treatments and most differentiated healthcare for over 25 years,” said Paula Macedo in a statement.

The president of the administration defended the importance of giving “new breath to the future” of HDES and assured that the “final functional program evaluation phase” is currently underway.

When asked about possible delays in the deadline, Paula Macedo reiterated that the intention is to launch the project by the end of the first half of the year, but referred further clarification to the regional secretary for Health.

“The objective here is to bring something robust and well-founded by listening to the entire clinical and non-clinical area and being able to use this material to design the future hospital”, he reinforced.

The person responsible for HDES, however, declined to justify the decision to build a modular hospital and not reopen the emergency service, recalling that she will be heard on May 14th in the parliamentary inquiry committee dedicated to the response to the fire at HDES.

“I don’t think it’s the day. Today is a day to express our gratitude and acknowledgement to all those who helped us. That’s what I wanted to leave as a message of confidence and hope: our users can always count on us,” he stressed.

Regarding delays in surgeries and diagnostic tests, Paula Macedo recalled the impacts caused by the suspension of clinical activity and promised a “short response” for affected users.

The president of the administration also said that HDES will “reinforce the capacity” of the operating block, returning to having six rooms, the same number it had before the fire.

During the session, Paula Macedo praised the professionals and institutions that helped respond to the fire on May 4, 2024, which forced the transfer of 333 patients.

The initiative also included a speech on disaster response by the former Secretary of Health of Madeira, Pedro Ramos, as a specialist in Disaster Management.

Azores record the biggest drop in birth rates and rise in mortality rates

The Azores were the region that showed the largest year-on-year decrease in birth rates, but also the sharpest increase in mortality in the country in 2024 compared to the previous year, which culminated in a negative natural balance, according to data released yesterday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE)

Regarding mortality, in Portugal there were a total of 118,374 deaths of residents in national territory in 2024, 79 more than in 2023 (118,295 deaths), which represented a year-on-year increase of 0.1%.

In the Azores there were 2,454 deaths in the year under review, a year-on-year increase, considering that 85 more deaths of Azorean residents were recorded compared to the previous year.

Based on the information presented by the national statistics office, mortality increased in four of the nine NUTS II regions, with increases higher than those recorded at national level (+0.1%), with the Autonomous Region of the Azores standing out with the largest increase (+3.6%). In contrast, Madeira recorded the largest decrease in mortality (-7.6%).

At a regional level, the highest proportion of deaths occurred in the age group of 80 and over, representing more than half of mortality in all regions, ranging from 52.2% to 65.4%, with the exception of the Azores, a region where the proportion of deaths in this age group was 46.2%.

As indicated by the national statistics office in the publication ‘Vital Statistics 2024’, it appears that in the year under analysis, 84,642 babies were born to mothers residing in Portugal, 1.2% less than in 2023 (85,699 live births).

Of the total number of live births observed in the country, 43,470 were male and 41,172 were female, “representing a male-to-female ratio of 106 (for every 100 female children, approximately 106 were male)”, the document states.

In the Azores, 1,871 babies were born to mothers residing in the Azores archipelago in 2024, a reduction of 171 live births compared to the previous year. This observed decrease is equivalent to the largest year-on-year drop recorded in Portugal this year (-8.9%).

According to the INE, the birth rate decreased in more than half of the country’s NUTS II regions, except in the West and Tagus Valley (+1%), Greater Lisbon (+0.9%), the Setúbal Peninsula (+0.3%) and the Autonomous Region of Madeira (+2.6%).

With the exception of the Central region (-0.9%), in the remaining regions the decrease was greater than the national figure (-1.2%), with the Azores showing the biggest drop in birth rates.

This year, around a third (33%) of live births in Portugal were children of foreign mothers.

“In the last decade, the proportion of live births to mothers of foreign nationality has more than doubled”, adds the INE, highlighting that the proportion of live births to mothers of foreign nationality was higher than the national value in three regions: Greater Lisbon (47.8%), Setúbal Peninsula (46.9%) and Algarve (46.6%).

In the Azores, the proportion of live births to mothers of foreign nationality was the lowest in the country, at 7.1%.

In the country there was a slight increase in the number of deaths and a decrease in the number of live births, a situation that led to a worsening of the natural balance, also felt in four of nine regions.

The North was the region where the most pronounced negative natural balance was recorded (-12,471), the Autonomous Region of the Azores where the least negative value was recorded (-583) and Greater Lisbon, for the second consecutive year, was the only NUTS II region to record a positive natural balance (+929), highlights the INE.

Prison services open investigation into case of hospitalized inmate in the Azores

Prison services have opened an investigation into a case in which an inmate in the Azores was allegedly placed in isolation in a cell without a mattress and required emergency medical care, the Minister of Justice revealed.

“There is an investigation process underway and in view of this, the necessary measures will be taken”, said Rita Alarcão Júdice at the end of the inauguration ceremony of the new facilities of the Southern Directorate of the PJ, in Faro.

An inmate at the Angra do Heroísmo Prison, on Terceira Island, has been hospitalized in serious condition since April 26th, after being found lying in the cell where he was confined with signs of hypothermia.

The National Union of Prison Guards warned last week about the “lack of security conditions” in the prisons of Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroísmo.

The union president, Frederico Morais, said on April 24th that the inmate in question “returned from hospital and was placed in isolation in a cell without a mattress” and “required emergency medical care due to respiratory problems”.

“We do not have the conditions to have a psychiatric patient in a prison. We are not doctors. In these types of situations, inmates should be placed in specialized clinics,” said Frederico Morais, defending a “rigorous” inspection of the Angra do Heroísmo prison

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 30th April 2025

“We have no evidence of any type of contagion in the Azores”

Pedro Batista, regional director of Communications and Digital Transition, says the Region is not being affected by the blackout, he stated that “at the moment we have no evidence of any type of contagion in the Azores”, adding that “however, we have to take preventive measures in view of what is happening and that we still do not know in detail”.

Pedro Batista also said that at the level of regional public administration, “we have taken some measures to avoid possible contagion in our network, that is, we have redoubled the connectivity conditions that we have. Now, our websites, our connections, are only available within Portugal”, he concluded.

Blackout affects Azores Airlines operations to and from Lisbon

Azores Airlines’ operations to and from Lisbon are being conditioned due to the blackout that affected Portugal and other European countries

In a statement, the SATA Group states that “following a widespread blackout in the electricity grid affecting Portugal and other European countries, airport activities are suffering significant constraints, with a potential impact on the regular operation of Azores Airlines flights to/from Lisbon”.

The SATA Group is “continuously monitoring the situation, gathering all available information from the competent authorities and making every effort to minimize the inconvenience caused to its passengers. The safety of the operation is fully safeguarded”.

Diesel and gas prices fall for the second consecutive month in the Azores

Diesel and butane gas prices fell for the second consecutive month in the Azores in May, while the price of gasoline remained unchanged.

Diesel saw a reduction of 5.5 cents per litre, while butane gas fell by 15.2 cents per kilo.

From May 1st, the price of diesel in the Azores will cost 1.434 euros per litre, 5.5 cents less than the previous month.

In April, the price of diesel had already fallen by 1.7 cents per litre, after having risen by 10.2 cents since December.

The price of gasoline remains at 1.580 euros per litre for the third consecutive month, after an increase of 6.6 cents per liter since December.

The price of coloured diesel for agriculture and fishing, defined in another order, will also fall by 5.5 cents per liter in May.

Coloured and marked diesel consumed in agriculture will now cost 1.063 euros per litre, while the price of coloured and marked diesel consumed in fishing will be set at 0.873 euros per litre.

The price of butane gas, which began to be updated monthly in January, with a new calculation formula, fell by 15.2 cents per kilo in May.

Butane gas sold to the public, at the retailer’s establishment, in bottles of 26 litres or more, will now cost 1.710 euros per kilo and that sold in bottles of 24 litres, made of light materials (up to eight kilos of containers), 1.906 euros per kilo.

Piped butane gas costs 1.710 euros per kilo and bulk butane gas costs 1.308 euros per kilo.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 23rd April 2025

Five people died on Azorean roads in the first ten months of 2024

Data from the National Road Safety Authority shows that, between January and October last year, there were 574 accidents with victims in the Azores, 9.3% more than in 2023, resulting in five deaths

In the first ten months of 2024, five people died on Azorean roads at the scene of the accident or on the way to hospital, three more than in the same period in 2023, when there were only two fatalities.

The data is included in the October 2024 24-Hour Accident Report, carried out by the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR).

According to the document, between January and October of last year, 574 accidents with victims were recorded in the Region, an increase of 9.3% compared to the same period in 2023, when there were 525 occurrences.

These accidents with victims resulted in 86 serious injuries and 654 minor injuries, which represents a decrease of 7.5% (93) and an increase of 8.1% (605), respectively, compared to the same period in 2023.

ANSR adds that compared to 2019, the year defined by the European Commission as a reference “for the purposes of assessing the evolution of road accidents during the current decade”, there were 71 more accidents with victims, one less fatality, 12 fewer serious injuries and 74 more minor injuries.

• Total national data on road accidents: In the first ten months of last year, 405 people died on Portuguese roads, 16 fewer than in the same period in 2023.
• Accidents and injuries: Between January and October 2024, there were 31,633 accidents with victims, resulting in 405 deaths, 2,304 serious injuries, and 37,081 minor injuries.
• Comparison with 2023: Compared to the same period in 2023, there were 882 more accidents (+2.9%), 16 fewer fatalities (-3.8%), 46 more serious injuries (+2.0%), and 1,048 more minor injuries (+2.9%).
• Accident conditions: The majority of the 30,226 accidents with victims recorded between January 1 and October 30 occurred in good weather (82.1%) and within towns (79.2%).
• Districts with most accidents: Lisbon (6,317), Porto (5,262), and Braga (2,741).
• Fatalities: Of the total of 392 fatalities recorded on the mainland, 288 were drivers, 45 passengers in the vehicles involved in the accident, and 59 pedestrians.
• Data limitations: The National Road Safety Authority does not provide detailed data on road accidents in the autonomous regions.

Third suspect arrested for homicide in Ponta Delgada

The Judicial Police (PJ) arrested this weekend the third suspect in the qualified homicide of a 40-year-old man, on Wednesday, in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, that police force reported.

According to a statement from the PJ, the third suspect “was hiding in a cave, on the coast of Ponta Delgada, where he was detained”.

The two other suspects, aged 41 and 45, were arrested on Thursday and were remanded in custody.

According to the PJ, the night before the crime, the victim and the three attackers “were inside a space closed to the public, illegally occupied by homeless people, where they consumed synthetic substances”.

The attackers “may have developed the perception that the victim intended to appropriate property belonging to them, which led to a concerted act of aggression”.

“Armed with blunt and sharp instruments, the suspects inflicted lethal injuries on the victim’s torso, which would eventually cause his death,” stated the PJ.

The detainee appeared in court this Monday, which also ordered his preventive detention.

Navy coordinates rescue of man northeast of São Miguel Island

The Navy coordinated, on Sunday, the medical rescue of an 84-year-old man who was on board the cruise ship Mein Schiff 3, about 180 nautical miles (315 kilometres) northeast of the island of São Miguel.

The rescue of the German man, who presented a clinical picture of acute myocardial infarction, requiring urgent hospital medical care, was carried out in conjunction with the Urgent Patient Guidance Centre – Maritime (CODU-MAR) and the Air Search and Rescue Centre (RCC Lajes).

According to a statement from the Navy, the rescue was carried out by the Portuguese Air Force’s EH-101 helicopter and the patient was later transferred to a hospital unit in São Miguel.