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“What matters most is the people and how well they work together” Jari Keinänen has worked at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health for 25 years and leads the Wellbeing and Health Protection Unit. What motivates him are the variety of the work...

Client and patient safety The safety of care and services is part of the overall quality of healthcare and social welfare. Safe care and services are evidence-based and effective. They are provided in the right way and at the right time. Client an...

8.2.2024 | 1 (4) Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Meritullinkatu 8, Helsinki | PO Box 33, FI-00023 Government, Finland +358 295 16001, stm.fi/en, @MSAH_News Privacy policy – Survey on discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy The Ministry of Social Aff...

4.6.2026 | The Government is proposing a new type of integration assistance. The general social security benefit would be paid as integration assistance to immigrants registered as unemployed jobseekers who do not meet the prior work requirement or have lived in Finland for less than three years.

Occupational accidents and occupational diseases The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for developing and preparing the legislation concerning insurance against occupational accidents and diseases. The workers’ compensation insu...

Substance abuse and addiction prevention Shortly The goal of substance abuse and addiction prevention is to reduce harm and promote health, wellbeing and safety. The wellbeing services counties organise substance abuse prevention and provide healt...

Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö koordinoi vammaispolitiikkaa. Sen toteuttaminen on kuitenkin kaikkien hallinnonalojen vastuulla.

Supervising OSH The Finnish Supervisory Agency oversees compliance with workplace OSH in Finland. Occupational safety and health Administration in Finland The MSAH and the four-year framework agreements concerning The Finnish Supervisory Agency de...

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...

The principle of organising prenatal screening tests to find out whether the pregnancy is developing normally is that all pregnant women are offered voluntary, free-of-charge, uniform and high-quality screening tests and, when necessary, further tests on an equal basis.

7.4.2021 | A pilot strengthening the inclusion of children and young people in drafting the Child Welfare Act will be carried out when implementing the National Child Strategy. The pilot aims to create a model for consulting children and young people in legislative work. 

28.9.2020 | Children, young people and adults are invited to participate in preparing the National Child Strategy. The strategy is being drawn up by a parliamentary committee representing the various parliamentary groups, and will be completed by the end of 2020.

“Opportunities to build something new this hands-on in central government are rare” Laura Kuusio works on advancing Finland’s national Child Strategy and the European Child Guarantee. What matters most to her is strengthening the participation of ...

Housing allowance The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general planning, guidance and supervision of the housing allowance legislation. The Ministry of Education and Culture in turn is responsible for the housing supple...

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...

About the site The web service of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is published in Finnish, Swedish and English. The pages in Finnish and Swedish contain more information than the English pages. Functions The following functions are found...

Legislation concerning income security The Finnish Constitution guarantees the right of all people living in Finland to Adequate social and health services Basic income security Essential subsistence and care. There is a range of legislation gover...

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...

Vammaispalvelut ja tukitoimet Vammaisilla henkilöillä on oikeus yhdenvertaisuuteen, osallisuuteen, itsemääräämisoikeuteen, itsenäiseen elämään ja syrjimättömyyteen sekä tarvittaviin yksilöllisiin palveluihin ja tukeen. Periaatteena on, että julkis...

Equal pay Equal pay is a fundamental and human right. Under the Finnish Equality Act, people performing the same work or work of equal value must receive the same pay, irrespective of their gender. Reducing pay gaps is a central equality issue and...

Services for older people Shortly Wellbeing services counties organise health and social services for older people. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities have published a quality recomme...

Frequently asked questions about the operating models and division of duties of healthcare and social welfare personnel This page contains frequently asked questions about the operating models and division of duties of healthcare and social welfar...

Contact information The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Telephone: +358 295 16001 (Government switchboard) Postal address: PO Box 33, FI-00023 Government, Finland Visiting address: Meritullinkatu 8, 00170 Helsinki Telefax: +358 2951 63415 (r...

29.10.2020 | Law-drafting is a multi-stage process, which requires a wide range of professional competences and cooperation between multiple instances. In the Covid-19 situation, this work has been performed across ministries and in cooperation with agencies and research institution experts as well as practical actors.

Amended legislation on health checks for children and young adults Categories: Publication date: 22.12.2025 The timing and content of health checks at child health clinics and schools, and in student healthcare and oral healthcare will be regulate...

4.9.2020 | In recent weeks, there has been discussion about whether a full communicable disease allowance should be paid to people who may have been exposed to coronavirus because of their own actions. This type of situation may occur, for example, when people travel to countries where the coronavirus situation is worse than in Finland or when people attend public events.  

Gender Equality in working life Equality in working life must be promoted particularly in pay, working conditions, terms of employment, recruitment, career development, and reconciliation of work and family life. The Gender Equality Act obliges em...

Value chain for pharmacotherapy Pharmaceuticals-related development, research and innovations The facilitation of research and development of pharmaceuticals is a requirement for new pharmaceutical innovations. It is characteristic of the pharmace...

Support and benefits The Finnish social protection system includes various forms of financial support and benefits designed to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to take part in working life and society in general. Children and parentho...

5.12.2025 | 1 Classified as ECDC NORMAL Appendix 10 - Country follow-up to ECDC PHEPA recommendations Following the PHEPA mission conducted in your country, the final ECDC assessment report includes a series of recommendations aiming at supporting your countr...

28.4.2021 | The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health awards the International Gender Equality Prize in 2021 and this year, it is given for the third time. The prize is indeed noteworthy, EUR 300,000. Candidates to re-ceive the prize may be nominated until 16 May 2021.

15.6.2026 | At the initiative of Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has launched preparations for a national women’s health strategy. The aim of the strategy is to gather information on women’s health and identify solutions that can promote women’s health, wellbeing and ability to work.

24.6.2024 | C O P E N H A G E N I N S T I T U T E F O R F U T U R E S S T U D I E S Future trends & opportunities in the health and well-being sector J U N E 2 0 2 4 P E T E R A A D A L N I E L S E N The Institute at a glance P A G E 3 CIFS is an independent,...

Social- och hälsovårdsministeriet samordnar funktionsrättspolitiken och främjar verkställandet inom ministeriets verksamhetsområde. Samtliga ministerier och myndigheter ska beakta rättigheterna inom sina egna ansvarsområden.

30.6.2020 | At the moment, custodians can view data in the My Kanta Pages only on those children who are under the age of 10. In his decision, the Deputy Chancellor of Justice considered that the age limits concerning custodians’ right to act on behalf of their children in the My Kanta Pages do not meet the conditions set out in the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients.  

Kahdettatoista kertaa järjestettävät Tasa-arvopäivät kokoavat sukupuolten tasa-arvon parissa työskentelevät 7.–8.10. Espoon modernin taiteen museo EMMAan Tapiolaan. Tämän vuoden tapahtuman teema on työ, luokka ja raha. Tilaisuus tarjoaa ohjelmaa suomeksi ja englanniksi. Tapahtuman järjestää sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö yhteistyössä Espoon kaupungin, CARE4CAREER-hankkeen ja tasa-arvotoimijoiden verkoston kanssa. Tilaisuus striimataan. Etäosallistuminen edellyttää ennakkoilmoittautumista.

Wellbeing services counties will be responsible for organising health, social and rescue services Wellbeing services counties will be responsible for organising healthcare, social welfare and rescue services in Finland. There are 21 wellbeing serv...

10.11.2023 | MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH AND THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE OF REPUBLIC OF FINLAND AND THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE OF REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA CONCERNING PROMOTING ELECTRONIC ...

Internationellt jämställdhetssamarbete Främjande av jämställdhet inom EU Inom EU främjas jämställdheten med hjälp av lagstiftning och jämställdhetspolitik. Främjande av jämställdhet mellan kvinnor och män och undanröjande av bristande jämställdhet...

1.6.2021 | Roadmap for strengthening client and patient self-determination - base plan for further preparation LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS • Government bill to Parliament, 2022 • Legal remedies for involuntary medication (psychiatric care) • Repeal of the outdate...