To identify social-health alterations, provoked by great economical transformations and their demographic consequences (colonisation, industrial revolution, globalisation), creating a database which will function as theoretical support for the reforms of public welfare and social solidarity systems. To deepen the knowledge of the most important moments of healing- practice evolution and the history of Medicine, in relation with the political and ideological aspects of each country. To identify past and present differences and similarities between health and public welfare policies within the different European countries, characterising the motives beneath. To deepen the knowledge of social inequalities, in terms of genre and age, in the access to past and present welfare institutions. To identify the forms and effects of social rehabilitation nowadays in order to avoid mistake repetition. To identify ethnic minorities and picking up information that may help to preserve their customs and cultural heritage. To draw a map with the main social problems inherent to Europe, and those which have been brought by migration. To compare the main existing European welfare systems, as well as the investment that each country is making in public health professionalization in order to fight against endemic diseases and in order to improve mental health. To compare the programmes of Medical History in different countries to establish the relevance for health assistance organisation and quality.

. The network is coordinated by the University of Evora and supported by the European Commission, within the framework of the Socrates Programme (Erasmus Thematic Networks). It also receives funding from the Portuguese Government, and collaborates with other institutions: the Milbank Memorial Fund, the Gulbenkian Foundation and the Compostela Group of Universities.