Travel Medicine Takes Center Stage in Porto, 2025
From September 17 to 19, 2025, Porto hosted a pivotal gathering for travel medicine: the IX Reunião Científica da Sociedade Portuguesa de Medicina do Viajante (SPMV), the VII Workshop on Vaccines in Travellers, and the I Forum Internacional Atlântico-Mediterrâneo das sociedades de medicina do viajante. In this vibrant confluence, researchers from IHMT NOVA (Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da NOVA) and the ADMT (Associação de Medicina do Viajante) highlighted innovative work that underlines the field’s evolution and its practical impact on traveller health.
IHMT NOVA: Pioneering Tools and Approaches in Travel Medicine
Researchers affiliated with IHMT NOVA presented a slate of projects designed to strengthen pre-travel preparation, risk assessment, and post-travel follow-up. Key themes included refined risk stratification for common itineraries, personalized vaccination planning, and evidence-based recommendations that translate quickly into clinic-ready guidance. Attendees noted how IHMT NOVA’s work is pushing travel medicine toward more personalized, data-driven care—helping clinicians tailor preventive strategies to individual travellers based on destination, itinerary, and medical history.
Risk Assessment and Decision Support
One focus area was the development of practical decision-support tools that assist clinicians in real time. These tools aim to balance benefits, risks, and costs of vaccines and preventive measures for travellers with varying risk profiles. By integrating epidemiological data with patient-specific factors, IHMT NOVA is contributing to more nuanced, safer travel health advice that travellers can trust.
Vaccination Strategies for Diverse Itineraries
IHMT NOVA researchers discussed updates to vaccination planning, including strategies for travellers with complex medical histories or unusual itineraries. The emphasis on evidence-based, destination-specific recommendations reflects a broader shift in travel medicine toward flexible, patient-centered care rather than one-size-fits-all protocols.
ADMT: Strengthening the Community and International Collaboration
The ADMT’s contributions at the conference underscored the bridge between clinical practice and public health. Through professional training, guideline development, and international collaboration, ADMT is helping to standardize the practice of travel medicine across borders. In Porto, ADMT’s specialists highlighted best practices for professional education—ensuring that clinicians, nurses, and allied health professionals stay current with the latest travel-related risks and preventive measures.
Education and Outreach
ADMT presented curricula and continuing education initiatives designed to empower clinicians to deliver high-quality travel health services. These efforts are crucial for maintaining consistency in care as travel becomes increasingly global and diverse in terms of destinations and traveller profiles.
Guidelines for Vaccines in Travellers
In tandem with IHMT NOVA, ADMT contributed to discussions on harmonizing guidelines for vaccines in travellers, emphasizing practical implementation in clinics, border health settings, and travel clinics. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to reducing preventable travel-related illnesses through coordinated policy and practice across the Atlantic-Mediterranean region.
Why These Innovations Matter for Travel Medicine
The convergence at Porto illustrates a turning point for travel medicine, where scientific research translates directly into clinical practice and public health outcomes. The emphasis on personalized risk assessment, destination-specific vaccination strategies, and robust professional education aligns with travellers’ needs in a world of evolving disease patterns and complex international travel. As IX SPMV, the VII Workshop on Vaccines in Travellers, and the I Atlantic-Mediterranean Forum showcase, IHMT NOVA and ADMT are helping to shape guidelines, tools, and training that clinicians can deploy now to protect travellers and communities alike.
Looking Ahead: Building on Porto’s Momentum
With ongoing collaborations across the Atlantic-Mediterranean space, the 2025 Porto events set the stage for further innovations in travel medicine. Future priorities include expanding digital health integration for pre-travel consultations, refining risk scoring models with real-world data, and strengthening international networks that enable rapid sharing of surveillance information and best practices. For travellers, this means more reliable, personalized care that anticipates risks before departure and supports safer journeys after return.
