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The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health coordinates, develops and monitors gender mainstreaming as part of the Government’s gender equality policy. Monitoring focuses particularly on legislative drafting, economic and operational planning, budgeting, and competence development. In addition, the operational gender equality planning of public authorities is monitored.

Mental Health at Work Programme The Mental Health at Work Programme (2021–2022) was led and coordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and it was part of the implementation of the National Mental Health Strategy and the Programme of...

Gender mainstreaming Gender mainstreaming is a strategy for promoting gender equality, and it means that the gender perspective is taken into account in all decision-making. The Gender Equality Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health coo...

WORK2030 - Development programme for work and wellbeing at work The implementation of the WORK2030 programme has been based on the Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government. The aims of the programme have been to reform operating practi...

Violence against children and its prevention The authorities work to prevent violence against children in many ways and in broad cooperation with various parties. The key national plans coordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health incl...

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...

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...

Gambling-related harm The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health coordinates the prevention and reduction of gambling-related harm at the government level. These measures are guided by the Gambling Policy Programme that extends to 2030. As provided...

Mental Health at Work Programme Mental wellbeing is a success factor in working life and a driver of employment. The Mental Health at Work Programme emphasises the importance of adopting preventive measures and promoting mental health in working l...

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...

Amended legislation on health checks for children and young adults Type: Press release Categories: Publication date: 22.12.2025 Request for comments: Legislative amendment would extend right of small alcohol producers to sell their products direct...

Environmental health The MSAH seeks to identify, prevent and eliminate health hazards from the environment. The Ministry supervises health protection and is responsible for the development of legislation in this field is responsible for the legisl...

Strategic and Financial Management Unit The Strategic and Financial Management Unit assists and supports the Permanent Secretary and is in charge of developing the Ministry’s strategic leadership. The Unit is responsible for advancing and developi...

Roma policy in Finland The overall objective of Finland’s National Roma Policy is to promote the inclusion, participation and equality of the Roma in different spheres of life. The policy programme is a comprehensive action plan, prepared in coope...

4.12.2025 | The economy of wellbeing offers tools for policy makers to secure the preconditions for a good life both for the current population and future generations. A new working paper by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) analyses how wellbeing economy practices have been integrated into decision-making in ten countries. This comparison will also help Finland create its own governance model.

9.4.2026 | 1 ADI-ROM(2025)26 Restricted Strasbourg, 9 March 2026 COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON ROMA AND TRAVELLER1 ISSUES (ADI-ROM) 13th meeting Strasbourg, 1-2 April 2026 Explanatory Memorandum Recommendation to the member States on desegregation and inclusion po...

Good Work Programme – Creating more appeal and staying power in the healthcare and social welfare sector Mounting service needs driven by an ageing Finnish population, higher rates of chronic diseases, evolving expectations and new technologies – ...

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...

The objective of the project, based on the Government’s policy guidelines, is to enhance the safety of children’s and young people’s digital growth environments and to protect them from the harms of social media. [This is a machine translation, we do not guarantee the quality and accuracy of the translations produced.]

13.2.2026 | Together Against Cancer – Human-Centred Cancer Prevention and Care National Cancer Strategy 2026–2035 Finland National Cancer Strategy 2026–2035 Contents Summary 3 Strategic objectives 5 Current situation and operating environment 6 Cancer in Finl...

International and EU affairs On this page Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s objectives for international and EU cooperation International Affairs Unit EU affairs at the Ministry Global cooperation Nordic and regional cooperation Human rights...

9.4.2026 | The Government is proposing changes aimed at preventing intentional misuse of social security, reducing incorrect social security payments and improving information exchange with Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

5.12.2025 | Country report: ECDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness Assessment for Finland, 2024 Under Article 8 of the Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 ASSESSMENT ECDC ASSESSMENT Country report: ECDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness Assessment for Finland, 20...

6.2.2025 | The Government adopted a resolution on the Government Action Plan for Gender Equality 2024–2027 at its session on 6 february 2025. The Action Plan contains 50 measures, and it has a strong emphasis on the prevention of violence against women. The Action Plan is based on the Programme of Prime Minister Orpo’s Government.

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...

14.1.2026 | Gendered vulnerabilities of boys and young men must be taken into account when planning education and health and social services. The latest report calls for a shift from gender neutrality to gender-sensitive policymaking that recognises differences between genders and identifies specific needs. It proposes that raising competence levels and preventing violence should be set as shared national goals across all work with children and young people.

31.10.2025 | Healthcare and social welfare 2040 vision Views and proposals of Ministry of Social Affairs and Health officials regarding needs for changes to the healthcare and social welfare service system Permanent Secretary Veli-Mikko Niemi In “Healthcare an...

In accordance with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Orpo's Government, solving the shortage of personnel threatening the availability of services in the welfare society requires both short-term and long-term measures. The Good Work Programme will be launched to ensure the sufficiency and availability of personnel in the health, social services and rescue services sectors.

9.2.2023 | The Government has adopted a resolution on Finland’s third National Roma Policy (ROMPO 3). The key objective of the National Roma Policy for 2023–2030 is to support Roma inclusion, participation and equality and to end discrimination by tackling antigypsyism.

23.2.2023 | The Government's cross-sectoral working group on gender equality has assessed the progress of the action plan and prepared a final report. The final report concludes that a large number of the measures in the gender equality action plan were achieved, despite the crises that shook the world. The Government discussed the progress of the Action Plan for Gender Equality in its evening session on 22 February.

6.2.2023 | The 61st session of the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD61) will be held in New York from 6 to 15 February 2023. Finland will be represented at the session by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen and Youth Delegate Hung Ly. Finland, the International Labour Organization ILO, the African Union and UN Women will organise a side event focusing on social protection and the effects of climate change. 

7.2.2022 | The 60th session of the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD) will be held in a hybrid format, that is, both in New York and virtually, from 7 to 16 February 2022. The priority theme of the session is ‘Inclusive and resilient recovery from COVID-19 for sustainable livelihoods, well-being and dignity for all: eradicating poverty and hunger in all its forms and dimensions to achieve the 2030 Agenda’. 

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.

3.9.2018 | National action plan ON ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE 2017–2021 Publications 2017:12MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH National action plan on antimicrobial resistance 2017–2021 Antti Hakanen, Jari Jalava ja Liisa Kaartinen Ministry of Social Affair...

Open positions and the Ministry as a workplace On this page Open positions Trainee positions at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health The Ministry as a workplace Service relationship, working hours, pay, and general collective agreements Well-...

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.

2.11.2020 | 1+MillionGenomes Roadmap 2020-2022 Summary of the roadmap document adopted on 4 February 2020 by the signatories of the Declaration Towards access to at least 1 million sequenced genomes in the EU by 2022 1+MillionGenomes Understanding the role of...

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.

31.1.2019 | There are more means than before to prevent suicides among the Sámi living in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Taking those means into use requires more funding, skilful helpers and knowledge about the factors behind the increased suicide risk among the Sámi. All these require greater political will.

9.10.2020 | A People-centred Perspective on Employment Barriers and Policies FACES OF JOBLESSNESS IN FINLAND 2  This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of interna...