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Primary healthcare Health and social services centres are the nearest and most familiar care facilities to residents, providing many of the healthcare services organised by the wellbeing services counties. Health and social services centres provid...

25.11.2021 | The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Finland. Approximately 7,200 new cases were reported between 15 and 21 November. At the end of October, over 4,000 cases were reported weekly, and during the latest reporting period, between 15 and 21 November, over 7,000 cases. This is over 3,000 cases more on a weekly level. The weekly number of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care has nearly tripled over the past three weeks.

18.11.2021 | On 17 November, 86.2 per cent of the target population for COVID-19 vaccination in Finland, i.e. people who are 12 years of age or over, had received at least their first vaccine dose and 80.6 per cent also their second vaccine dose.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health provides overall guidance and prepares legislation on student health care in secondary and higher education.

5.1.2022 | Around 38,700 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the past seven days, between 26 December 2021 and 1 January 2022, compared to around 19,600 new cases in the previous week. On 4 January 2022, the total number of confirmed cases of the Omikron variant was 363. The overall burden on hospital care has risen, while the need for intensive care has stayed at its high level.

21.12.2021 | Around 13,400 new COVID-19 cases were reported between 13 and 19 December, while in the previous week the number of new cases in Finland was around 10,600. On 20 December, the total number of confirmed cases of the Omikron variant was 83. The burden on hospital care and, in particular, intensive care is increasing.

Information management to support rational pharmacotherapy Information management solutions and digital services can support the safety, quality, economy and equality of pharmacotherapy and, in the long term, the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy. ...

9.12.2021 | Nearly 9,400 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 29 November and 5 December. The weekly number of reported COVID-19 cases has doubled from the end of October and the start of November. The number of new cases was about 4,200 between 25 and 31 October and about 5,200 between 1 and 7 November. The number of people seeking testing has also been increasing for several weeks now. The bur...

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman The Finns Party Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman is responsible for all other matters covered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, ...

Finnish social security system The Finnish social security system includes benefits and support that protect people’s livelihoods, as well as the provision of health and social services and employment services. Social security provides income secu...

Hospitals and specialised medical care Specialized medical services, including various specialist examinations and treatments, are primarily provided in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and emergency departments. Access to specialised healthcare is ...

12.8.2021 | The number of new COVID-19 cases has increased slightly compared to the previous week. The total number of new cases reported between 2 and 8 August was 5,017, whereas a week before the number of new cases was 4,618.

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Decree on the prescription of medicines (1088/2010), special attention must be given to the safety of pharmaceuticals.

19.6.2026 | 1 CONCEPT NOTE OSTRAVA CASE STUDY The Social Rental Agency model to overcome Roma housing exclusion May 2026 The European Network on Roma Equality under EU Funds (EURoma Network) has been working since 2007 to foster an increased and effective use...

Social assistance Shortly Social assistance is a last-resort form of social security that secures the essential livelihood for an individual or a family when they cannot support themselves with other income or assets. It is a means-tested benefit,...

Assessment of risks associated with gambling Assessing the risks and harm caused by gambling is statutory work conducted by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The Ministry started to assess the risks and harm related to the running of gamb...

RDI Growth Programme for Health and Wellbeing The aim of the RDI Growth Programme for Health and Wellbeing is to support the wellbeing services counties in renewing themselves in order for them to better promote people’s health and wellbeing and i...

Maternity and child health clinics Maternity and child health services are offered for all pregnant parents, families that are expecting a baby and children before school age and their parents. The functions of the maternity and child health clini...

Responsibilities in preventing domestic and family in the Ministry’s branch of government The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) coordinates the nationwide work to prevent domestic and family violence. It also coordinates the network o...

Preventing domestic and intimate partner violence The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for planning and guiding the prevention of domestic and family violence. The aim is to prevent violence and develop the nationwide service s...

5.8.2021 | The number of new COVID-19 cased has increased by 56 per cent over the last week. The total number of new cases reported between 26 July and -1 August was 4,574 whereas, a week before, the number of new cases was 2,925.

Appealing income security decisions The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health does not process requests for a review, objections or complaints. Instead, it drafts legislation on appeal boards and this way ensures the legal protection of people whe...

25.2.2021 | A total of over 3,400 new COVID-19 cases were reported between 15 and 21 February 2021, which is clearly more than in the previous week. The incidence of new cases was 62 per 100,000 inhabitants in the whole of Finland, while in the preceding week, it was 46 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Fighting infectious disease: Responsibilities of the authorities The task of healthcare and social welfare services is to safeguard that the population has the healthcare and social welfare services essential to their health and functional capacit...

Frequently asked questions concerning child welfare in Finland In Finland, child welfare services are based on the Child Welfare Act (417/2007) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Finnish Treaty Series 59–60/1991). The Child Welfare ...

Alcohol policy The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the guidance and development of alcohol policy. Alcohol policy refers to the public authorities’ measures to prevent negative health, social and societal effects of alcoho...

Mediation in criminal and civil cases Mediation in criminal and civil cases is a free-of-charge public service where volunteer mediators mediate between the parties to a crime or a dispute and assist them in the negotiations. The purpose of mediat...

13.1.2022 | Nearly 53,600 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 3 and 9 January, compared to more than 42,100 new cases in the previous week. Cases are now reported even among people who have been vaccinated. The need for inpatient specialised healthcare has grown considerably while the burden on intensive care remains high but relatively stable. Vaccinations continue to provide good protection against the more serious forms of the disease.

Immigrants' social security, welfare and health The MSAH is responsible for matters concerning the welfare and health of immigrants living in Finland. The Ministry deals with the basic security of immigrants, essential social and health services i...

20.1.2022 | Nearly 55,500 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 10 and 16 January, compared to more than 57,400 new cases in the previous week. The burden on inpatient specialised healthcare remains high. The burden on inpatient primary healthcare is also increasing rapidly. Vaccines provide good protection against the most serious forms of COVID-19. For this reason, it is particularly important that people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups get a third dose.  

10.6.2021 | The number of COVID-19 cases is decreasing in Finland, with most areas recording only a small number of new cases. The incidence of COVID-19 cases is higher in some areas of southern Finland than in the rest of the country. However, the epidemic has also continued to slow down in densely populated areas.

3.6.2021 | The COVID-19 situation has improved noticeably in Finland over the past week. There are, however, major regional differences in the development of the epidemic. The incidence of COVID-19 is still higher in southern and southwestern Finland and Central Ostrobothnia than in the rest of the country. The development of the epidemic has, nevertheless, slowed down in many areas.

National Cancer Strategy 2026–2035 Cancer is a common disease in Finland. The number of cancer deaths in the country has fallen considerably over the past decades, and as many as two out of three people with cancer recover from the disease. Howeve...

26.6.2026 | EU ministers will convene for a meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 29 June. State Secretary Laura Rissanen will represent Finland at the meeting.

17.12.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is requesting comments on a draft government proposal that seeks to prevent intentional misuse of social welfare benefits, reduce incorrect social welfare payments and promote information exchange with the Social Insurance Institution (Kela). Statements may be submitted until 28 January 2026.

16.6.2026 | 1(4) 12 June 2026 WORKING LIFE RECOMMENDATIONS IN CASE OF DRONE THREATS The social partners, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health together have prepared these recommendations for workplaces ...

Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health contributes to coordinating the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland, which is funded from the one-off EU recovery instrument ‘NextGenerationEU’. The Sustainabl...

11.11.2021 | On 10 November, 86 per cent of the target population for COVID-19 vaccination in Finland, i.e. people who are 12 years of age or over, had received at least one vaccine dose and 80 per cent two vaccine doses. However, reaching this milestone is not enough to reverse the trend of rising COVID-19 infection rates and the growing need for hospital care.

3.12.2020 | The coronavirus situation is rapidly worsening in Finland. Over the past two weeks, the number and incidence of cases has risen sharply in almost all regions. This development calls for an immediate and proactive response.

4.11.2021 | On 3 November, 86 per cent of the target population for COVID-19 vaccination in Finland, i.e. people who are 12 years of age or over, had received at least one vaccine dose and 79 per cent two vaccine doses. According to the current estimate, Finland will achieve 80 per cent vaccination coverage by the end of this week.

Parties responsible for gambling policy The Lotteries Act, which is prepared by the Ministry of the Interior, governs gambling services. Under the Act, the primary objective of gambling policy is to prevent harm. The Programme of Prime Minister Pe...

Legislation on termination on pregnancy

EHDS Regulation The EHDS Regulation is an EU regulation that improves citizens’ control over their personal health data and provides healthcare professionals with access to patient data, regardless of where patients live or receive treatment. The ...

22.7.2021 | The number of new COVID-19 cases has been increasing over the past four weeks. The total number of new cases reported between 12 and 18 July was 2,210. The number of cases per week has quadrupled and the share of positive samples has risen to 2.3 per cent since mid-June. Due to vaccination coverage, the number of serious cases requiring hospital care has not increased this summer as fast in proportion to the number of new cases as earlier during the epidemic.

17.6.2021 | The COVID-19 epidemic has continued to subside throughout Finland within the last two weeks. However, there is still regional variation in the development of the epidemic, as the incidence of COVID-19 cases is higher in some areas of southern Finland than in the rest of the country. Overall, the COVID-19 situation is calm, with most areas recording only a small number of new cases. The estimated effect...

24.6.2021 | The weekly number of COVID-19 cases in Finland is now down to about one third of what was reported in the first week of May. Last week (14–20 June), however, the downward trend in the number of cases slowed down. A total of 514 new cases were reported to the communicable diseases register, showing a decrease of about 40 cases from the previous week.

Secondary use of health and social data A separate law has be laid down on the secondary use of health and social data (Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data). The purpose of the Act is to facilitate the effective and safe processing ...

25.3.2021 | Between 15 and 21 March, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Finland decreased for the first time since the increase in case numbers in mid-February. Although the rise in the number of cases has subsided at the national level for the time being, new cases are still reported in large numbers. Most of them are reported in southern and southwestern Finland. In March, inpatients in speciali...

International examples to help Finland create governance model for wellbeing economy 4.12.2025 8.46 The economy of wellbeing offers tools for policy makers to secure the preconditions for a good life both for the current population and future gene...

27.5.2021 | The epidemiological situation has remained stable in Finland in the past few weeks. The number of new COVID-19 cases took a sharp downward turn in late March, which levelled out in late April. Since then the number of new cases has remained stable.

The Ministry The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (MSAH) is one of the 12 ministries in the Government. The Ministry's tasks promote the good health and functional capacity of people promote healthy living and working environments secure suff...

20.5.2021 | In Finland, the COVID-19 situation deteriorated very quickly in some areas, also at local level, between 10 and 16 May. Despite this, the number of new cases was about 70 per cent lower than between 8 and 14 March when the number of cases was at its highest.

22.4.2021 | Over the past five weeks, the number of new COVID-19 cases has clearly declined. This is a good sign indicating that the epidemic is calming down in Finland. The current restrictions and recommendations and the closure of businesses serving food and beverages have clearly been effective and prevented infections.

6.5.2021 | The number of new COVID-19 cases continued to decline between 26 April and 2 May although the rate of decline slowed down slightly. The regional differences in the development of the epidemic have also evened out to some extent. The number of people getting tested is commendably high. It is expected that the need for hospital care will decrease slowly.

19.11.2020 | The number and incidence of new COVID-19 cases are increasing in Finland. Last week, the majority of the new cases were reported in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa. Currently, there are so many new cases that the epidemiological situation can worsen rapidly across the country.

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Minister of Social Security Karoliina Partanen The National Coalition Party Minister of Social Security Karoliina Partanen is responsible for matters covered by the Department for Insurance and Social Security...

3.9.2020 | The coronavirus situation remains stable in Finland, although the number of infections and the incidence of the disease increased at the beginning of August, compared to the low figures in June and at the beginning of July. Since then, the numbers have stabilised and remained largely unchanged for a month.

13.8.2020 | The number and incidence of new coronavirus infections has clearly increased compared to the low figures at the beginning of July. Nevertheless, the number of cases remains relatively small at national level. The increased number of new cases is most evident in Helsinki and the Uusimaa region.

Areas of experties The administrative sector of the MSAH is wide ranging. The Ministry's work is supported by expertise from all agencies and institutes throughout the sector. Promotion of welfare » Social and health services » Income security » I...

18.3.2021 | The COVID-19 situation remains difficult in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa and the Hospital District of Southwest Finland. Over the past few weeks, the need for specialised healthcare and particularly the need for intensive care have increased considerably in these Districts.