Chairmanship of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing handed over from Russia to Finland
The chairmanship of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing (NDPHS) is handed over from Russia to Finland. Finland will hold the chairmanship in 2012 and 2013, with Germany as the vice chair. In practice the chairmanship was handed over at the ministerial meeting held in St. Petersburg on 25 November 2011, where Finland was represented by the Minister of Social Affairs and Health Paula Risikko.
The Northern Dimension is an instrument of cooperation between the EU and Russia in the northern regions. The Northern Dimension Partnership on Public Health and Social Wellbeing involves ten countries, i.a. Finland, Russia, Norway and Iceland. The Partnership aims to intensify cooperation in the field of health and social wellbeing by combating the spread of communicable diseases, preventing lifestyle-related diseases, and by enhancing social wellbeing and promoting healthy lifestyles among the population in the region. The NDPHS also coordinates the health component of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
"Finland will now be able to influence the direction of the work within the Partnership. Measures to promote project financing must be raised on the agenda. As the funds allocated for Finland's cooperation with neighbouring areas are being reduced new sources of funding for the cooperation projects should be found," says Ministerial Adviser Olli Kuukasjärvi of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, referring to EU funding. During the current period of EU funding, projects in the field of social welfare and health care have received fairly limited financial assistance. There are attempts to improve the situation," says Kuukasjärvi.
For Finland the Partnership is chaired from 2012 to 2013 by Ms Liisa Ollila, Director of International Affairs.
More informationOlli Kuukasjärvi, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 50 354 5925, [email protected]