APCL - Associação Portuguesa Contra a Leucemia

The Portuguese Association Against Leukemia is a national patient association that works to improve the living conditions of people with leukemia and other hematological-oncological diseases, as well as their families. Its efforts focus on defending patients' rights, providing direct support throughout the course of the illness, and promoting fairer, more informed, and equitable access to healthcare in Portugal.

The APCL develops a range of integrated projects and services that address the clinical, social, psychological, and informational needs associated with blood diseases. It provides social, psychological, and nutritional support, offers adapted physical activity classes, assists patients and caregivers in understanding the disease and its treatments, clarifies social and labor rights, and promotes empowerment initiatives that enhance patients' autonomy and informed participation in decisions about their care. It organizes support groups for each pathology and facilitates patient working groups, where patients themselves identify priority areas requiring intervention to improve their quality of life. These services are delivered through a structured person-centered support model, tailored to the different stages of the disease.

The association also plays an active role in promoting health literacy through the production of credible information, training activities, and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and civil society. Additionally, it engages in advocacy by representing patients' perspectives to political decision-makers, regulatory authorities, and other health system institutions, participating in public consultations, health technology assessment processes, and debates on public policies relevant to hematological-oncology.

In support of displaced patients, the APCL offers temporary accommodation for individuals who need to undergo treatment far from their place of residence, helping to reduce territorial inequalities in access to care. The association also maintains an active connection to scientific research by fostering partnerships and supporting studies that evaluate patient experiences, quality of life, and health outcomes, strengthening the evidence base that underpins its actions.

Through these projects and services, the Portuguese Association Against Leukemia establishes itself as an active partner in the healthcare system, committed to an integrated, humane, and needs-focused approach to supporting people living with hematological-oncological diseases in Portugal.