{"id":16,"date":"2025-10-06T21:56:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T19:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aliancamillionsmissing.org\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2026-08-30T10:11:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T09:11:23","slug":"quem-somos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aliancamillionsmissing.org\/en\/quem-somos\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"
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About Us<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AMM was founded in 2018 as a movement of patients and allies, becoming a formally constituted association in Lisbon in 2025. Since its inception, it has acted as a leading Portuguese-speaking network promoting science, care, and rights for those living with ME\/CFS, Long COVID, and other post-infectious syndromes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mission and Scope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to its Statutes, AMM has a national and international scope, carrying out activities in Portugal, Brazil, and among Portuguese-speaking communities. Its mission is clear: to ensure access to accurate diagnoses, effective treatments, and comprehensive support, promoting research, professional training, and public policies based on scientific evidence and international best practices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Principles and Values<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Free of charge<\/strong>: all support, training, and guidance services and activities are free of charge for patients, families, and healthcare professionals<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Universality<\/strong>: no one chooses to have these diseases; AMM's support is available to everyone, members or not.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Ethics and transparency<\/strong>: rigorous management, without conflicts of interest.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Science and evidence<\/strong>: all actions are aligned with current scientific research and quality clinical practices.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Defense of rights<\/strong>: commitment to the dignity, citizenship, and inclusion of patients.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Participate<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Alian\u00e7a<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Science and Evidence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AMM is guided by the highest scientific standards. We base our work on the best clinical and research evidence currently available, promoting the dissemination of validated knowledge in international guidelines and globally recognized clinical centers of excellence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our commitment is twofold:<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Rigor<\/strong> \u2014 we only support practices and therapeutic approaches based on robust scientific evidence or systematic evaluation in reference centers.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Responsible openness<\/strong> \u2014 we closely monitor promising emerging therapies, sharing information clearly and transparently, always in dialogue with the scientific and clinical community.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Governing Bodies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Joan<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Joan Serra Hoffman<\/h3>

President<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Co-founder of the Millions Missing Alliance, with over 30 years of experience integrating research, policy, and practice to promote the implementation of evidence-based solutions to complex health and social challenges. She served as a special assistant at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leading a national program of 10 academic centers of excellence in youth violence prevention. She was a founding co-director of the Inter-American Coalition for Violence Prevention, which promoted a public health approach and coordination among the WHO\/PAHO, USAID, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the CDC, and UNESCO. She was selected as a Next Generation Fellow by the Rockefeller Foundation for her work in public hospitals, Level 1 trauma centers, and public health departments with victims of violence. She retired from the World Bank due to MS\/CFS.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Andr\u00e9<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Andr\u00e9 Filipe Cacha\u00e7o<\/h3>

Vice President<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Born in 1982 in the city of Amadora, he holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in Philosophy from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Lisbon (2008) and has been a Technical Assistant in the Civil Service since 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His main areas of interest include epistemology, bioethics, the ethics of artificial intelligence, the philosophy of consciousness and personal identity, the critical analysis of politics and economics as ideological phenomena, and labor rights. He has been living with MS\/CFS since 2010.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Fernando<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Fernando Guedes<\/h3>

Secretary<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A civil engineer with an Integrated Master\u2019s degree from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto, he has extensive experience in urban rehabilitation, public program management, and European co-funded projects. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Web Science and Technology at UTAD\/UAb and president of IDEALPT\u2014the Institute for the Structural Development of Portugal. In 2024, he received a formal diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis based on the results of a two-day Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) conducted by Prof. Jo\u00e3o Carlos Winck, Ph.D. He is currently on extended medical leave but continues to work on a limited basis in the areas of strategic consulting, innovation, and digital transformation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Financial Management and Transparency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Associa\u00e7\u00e3o<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The sustainability of AMM is based on principles of rigor and trust. Financial management is ensured by AIDFM \u2013 Association for Research and Development of the Faculty of Medicine, a non-profit entity with extensive experience in the administration of scientific and health projects in Portugal. This partnership ensures that membership fees, donations, and sponsorships are managed according to best practices in auditing and accountability, preserving AMM's independence and benefiting from the credibility of recognized professional management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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AMM Network:
Focal Points<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to its management, AMM is organized through focal points in strategic areas\u2014a shared leadership model consistent with our identity as a collaborative, patient-led network. Each focal point ensures the connection between management, members, and partners, guaranteeing coordination and transparency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Dra.<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dora Sargento<\/h3>

Coordenadora e Assesora cl\u00ednica<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Especialista em Medicina Interna e Assistente Hospitalar Graduada da ULS Santa Maria.
Licenciada pela Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, mant\u00e9m uma forte liga\u00e7\u00e3o ao ensino e \u00e0 forma\u00e7\u00e3o p\u00f3s-graduada, e participado regularmente como palestrante e formadora em reuni\u00f5es cient\u00edficas e cursos dirigidos a profissionais de sa\u00fade. Autora e coautora de diversos trabalhos cient\u00edficos publicados em revistas m\u00e9dicas.
Enquanto m\u00e9dica e pessoa com COVID Longa, tem contribu\u00eddo ativamente para a sensibiliza\u00e7\u00e3o, educa\u00e7\u00e3o e melhoria dos cuidados prestados \u00e0s pessoas afetadas por doen\u00e7as p\u00f3s-infecciosas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Currently:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/svg><\/span>External Relations<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Patient Support<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Design<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Jo\u00e3o<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jo\u00e3o Tinoco<\/h3>

Designer<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n