TERRA releases a groundbreaking policy brief on nature-based prescriptions on International Social Prescription Day
Today, March 26, the TERRA Associate Laboratory is presenting the first policy brief produced as part of the TERRA Policy Hub. The launch coincides with International Social Prescription Day, a global celebration that, since 2019, has mobilized thousands of organizations, healthcare professionals, academics, and communities to raise awareness of the transformative impact of social prescription on people’s lives.
The document — “Prescrição de Natureza para a Promoção de Saúde” (“Nature Prescriptions for Health Promotion”) — proposes that Portugal move forward with a national strategy for nature prescriptions, positioning this approach as an opportunity to make health systems more sustainable, efficient, and prevention-focused.
The policy brief is authored by TERRA researchers Andreia Costa (coordinator), Ana Abreu, Ana Virgolino, Osvaldo Santos, Rosário Oliveira, Ana Bonifácio, Ana Louro, Eduarda Marques da Costa, Isabel Henriques, Joana Costa andManuel Malfeito-Ferreira, and can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18984551.
A strategy to strengthen public health in Portugal
The document argues that nature-based interventions, as a preventive and complementary measure, can play a decisive role in reducing the burden of chronic diseases—which affect more than 40% of the Portuguese population—and in promoting physical, mental, and social well-being.
The central proposal is the creation of the PNPN 2030 — the National Nature Prescription Program — which would incorporate activities in natural environments as a cost-effective measure for promoting health, combining clinical benefits with environmental gains.
The policy brief emphasizes that the scientific and practical evidence is robust: regular contact with natural spaces reduces stress and mental fatigue, improves mental health and cognitive recovery, and generates environmental co-benefits by promoting the enhancement and regeneration of ecosystems. Internationally, this approach has gained traction, with countries such as the United Kingdom investing over 7 million euros in green prescribing and Canada implementing the PaRx program, which since 2020 has mobilized more than 20,000 professionals and issued over 1.5 million prescriptions. Public acceptance is high, with over 75% of the population in Canada and Australia willing to participate in this type of prescription.
A launch in line with a global movement
The launch on International Social Prescribing Day reinforces TERRA’s connection to a global movement that celebrates the people, organizations, and communities that make social prescribing a reality. Since 2019, this date has mobilized thousands of local, national, and international initiatives, promoting awareness of what social prescribing is, how it works, and how it transforms lives.
By linking the release of the policy brief to this celebration, TERRA underscores the urgency and importance of integrating nature as a therapeutic and preventive resource in the Portuguese context.
A document resulting from scientific collaboration
This policy brief policy brief is the result of a collaborative meeting organized by the TERRA Policy Hub, which brought together approximately 40 researchers from TERRA’s five research units in December — learn more about this meeting here. This is the first of four policy briefs to be published, reinforcing TERRA’s mission to produce scientific knowledge geared toward public policy.
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