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Prevention of human trafficking The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health aims to prevent social problems caused by trafficking in human beings and to identify and help victims. The Ministry’s responsibilities include ensuring that victims of traf...

11.12.2023 | A project at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is working on a proposal for a well-being economy steering model for Finland that would strengthen wellbeing-oriented policymaking in Finland. A workshop, organized by THL and the OECD WISE Centre on 21–22 November 2023, brought together officials from pioneering countries to discuss the functionality and application of governance practices for a well-being framework.

The 11th annual Gender Equality Days (Tasa-arvopäivät) were organised on 8-9 October 2025 at the Clarion Hotel Aviapolis in Vantaa. 

7.10.2021 | On 6 October, 84 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 72 per cent had received two doses. According to the current estimate, it is possible to achieve 80 per cent vaccination coverage by the end of October, if the increase in the vaccine uptake does not slow down.

9.3.2026 | EU ministers will convene for a meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Brussels on 9 March. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman will represent Finland at the meeting.

Promoting inclusion strengthens social cohesion Inclusion means belonging to and being connected with communities and society. It is reflected, for example, in trust, equality and people’s opportunity to have a say in their own community and socie...

18.2.2026 | According to a report by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the gap between wellbeing services counties’ operations and finances widened in 2025. This trend is also expected to continue in the coming years. The underlying reasons include population ageing, an increase in service needs and uneven regional migration.

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 – ...

National service reform: Reform of the content and operating methods of health and social services The service reform will reform the legislation concerning the contents of health and social services and the related guidance to correspond to the c...

Health promotion The MSAH has a general responsibility for guiding and overseeing health promotion in Finland. Health promotion is based on the Health Care Act and is part of public health activity. Health promotion is also regulated by legislatio...

Balancing family life and work Family leave and different organizational measures, such as flexible working hours can help balance work and family life. The Ministry of Social affairs and Health is responsible for developing financial benefits for...

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...

Preventing violence and crime The work against violence and crime requires broad-based cooperation between various parties. At the national level, the ministries and the agencies operating under them promote multidisciplinary work, for example, th...

Social security and services for people applying for and receiving international protection in Finland People applying for international protection leave their home countries for various reasons, for example, to escape war, persecution or insecuri...

Council of Europe The areas of cooperation of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in the Council of Europe (CoE) include: Roma issues the rights of persons with disabilities children’s rights drug policy bioethics quality of medicines gender...

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...

Conscripts allowance and other armed service benefits The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for developing and preparing the legislation concerning conscripts allowance. Conscripts and civilian servicemen as well as their family...

Social lending Shortly The wellbeing services counties grant social loans. In Helsinki, the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division is responsible for social lending. If you would like to apply for a social loan, please contact t...

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. ...

Pohjoinen ulottuvuus Pohjoisen ulottuvuuden sosiaali- ja terveyskumppanuus (NDPHS) on foorumi asiantuntijatason yhteistyölle terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin alalla. Kumppanuuden tavoitteena on näyttää tietä kohti kestäviä ja osallistavia yhteiskuntia, j...

The national health and wellbeing programme seeks to reduce the wellbeing deficit and disease burden caused by the principal chronic diseases and conditions and their risk factors, to boost working and functional capacity, and to minimise disparities between population groups due to issues of health and wellbeing.

The status and rights of clients and patients The status and rights of patients and social welfare clients are protected by: the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients 785/1992 (Finlex) the Act on the Status and Rights of Social Welfare Clients ...

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is Finland’s most important international partner in the development and evaluation of health policy in Finland and globally. Finland is an active participant in global health policy an...

Nordliga dimensionen Nordliga dimensionens partnerskap för hälsa och socialt välbefinnande (NDPHS) är ett forum för expertsamarbetet för hälsa och välfärd. Målet för partnerskapet är att visa vägen när det gäller att skapa hållbara och inkluderand...

nordiskt samarbete

Whistleblower protection Whistleblower protection safeguards people who report certain types of misconduct. In this case, a ‘whistleblower’ is a person who, in the course of their work, discovers a breach of European Union or national law concerni...

fi sv en Finnish Cancer Center FICAN The Finnish Cancer Center (FICAN) was established in 2019 to promote effective and equitable cancer care in Finland. FICAN’s mission is to implement the tasks defined in the Government Decree on the Division of...

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...

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...

Department for Safety, Security and Health The Department for Safety, Security and Health handles issues pertaining to: organising environmental healthcare and health protection alcohol, tobacco and drug policy and the prevention of harm caused by...

EU collaboration project to promote access to genomic data The success of the European ‘1+ Million Genomes’ Initiative relies on wide-ranging collaboration. Among the objectives of the EU project is to ensure secure, cross-border access to genomic...

Chemical oversight Chemicals legislation prevents harm caused by chemicals Chemicals legislation prevents harm caused by chemicals to health and the environment. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general guidance, mo...

Social security reform Social security will be reformed during the ongoing parliamentary term through government projects and the work of the Social Security Committee. The aim of the social security reform is to make the social security system sm...

Legislation on services and benefits for older people This page lists the key pieces of legislation on services and benefits for older people. Below you will find them by topic and also links to more detailed guidance. Health and social services I...

6.3.2026 | The 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will take place in New York from 9 to 19 March 2026. Finland will be represented at the session by a broad-based delegation led by Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, who is responsible for gender equality issues.

Services to families Services aimed at families support parents or other guardians in their efforts to ensure the well-being and good upbringing of children. Early childhood education and care Finnish early childhood education and care combines ed...

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 ...

Terveys- ja hyvinvointialan kasvuohjelma Terveys- ja hyvinvointialan kasvuohjelman tavoitteena on tukea hyvinvointialueita uudistumaan niin, että ne voivat paremmin edistää kansalaisten terveyttä ja hyvinvointia sekä parantaa palveluiden laatua ja...

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...

Health and social services for people arriving from Ukraine On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a military attack against Ukraine. Finland is committed to helping people who have fled the war in Ukraine to Finland, also with respect to healthcare...

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 ...

Accessibility statement for the stm.fi website The website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health at stm.fi is subject to the provisions of the Act on the Provision of Digital Services (available in Finnish). Under the Act, public online ser...

Healthcare and social welfare for undocumented persons When it comes to the organisation of healthcare and social welfare, it should be noted that there are people residing both legally and illegally in Finland who are usually referred to as undoc...

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...

Child welfare Shortly The objective of child welfare is to guarantee children’s right to a safe growth environment, development and special protection. The aim is to provide support at the earliest possible stage at schools and maternity and child...

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...

General social security benefit The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is preparing a general social security benefit. The benefit would include a basic allowance for living, an allowance for housing costs and a discretionary allowance as last-...

15.1.2026 | The changes to be made to social assistance will, for example, strengthen the obligations of recipients to apply for full-time work and primary benefits. The overall reform of social assistance aims to clarify the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance, prevent social exclusion among young people and strengthen general government finances.

Family benefits The purpose of the benefit system for children and families is to safeguard the subsistence of the child and those responsible for his or her care, and to support the care of the child. The benefits are applied for at the Social In...

1.12.2016 | According to reports, the numbers of medical and dental specialists are divided by sector and are regionally uneven.

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.

13.11.2025 | A national collaboration model is being proposed for Finland to strengthen collaboration among key stakeholders in clinical research and make it easier for patients to access new treatments. The FinTrials collaboration model also aims to strengthen Finland’s position as an attractive country for clinical trials and increase investments in the sector. The proposal was made by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra at the request of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

6.10.2025 | Preparedness and data-driven decision-making in the field of pharmaceuticals were the key topics of discussion at a conference organised by Finland in Helsinki on 30 September–1 October 2025 as part of its Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

31.10.2025 | Parlamentaarinen komitea Parlamentarisk kommitté Erätauko-säätiö KANSALAISTEN NÄKEMYKSIÄ SOSIAALITURVAN TULEVAISUUDESTA Sosiaaliturvadialogien sarja 2024–2025 R APORT TI RAPORTTI 8.5.2025 1(34) Tiivistelmä Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö (STM) ja E...

7.10.2025 | The Nordic ministers responsible for gender equality and LGBTI will meet in Hämeenlinna on 7 October. The meeting will be chaired by Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

15.10.2025 | Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö on käynnistänyt selvityksen sosiaalihuollon interventioiden arviointitoiminnan ja näyttöön perustuvien suositusten nykytilasta, tarpeista ja toteuttamisvaihtoehdoista. Selvitys valmistuu kesällä 2026.

1.12.2025 | The EU ministers will attend the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Brussels on 1 and 2 December 2025. On both days, Finland will be represented by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso.

10.12.2025 | An independent group of experts has conducted a broad-based interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform, which was published on 10 December. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso, Minister of Local and Regional Government Anna-Kaisa Ikonen and Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen consider the findings valuable.

27.6.2025 | The President of the Republic has approved the new amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) at the national level. The Finnish Parliament adopted the IHR amendments in its plenary session on 18 June 2025. The IHR are an international legal instrument to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of communicable diseases.

Data Protection Contact information Data Protection Officer Data Protection Officer Lassi Kauttonen The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Communities and Functional Capacity tietosuojavastaava.stm(at)gov.fi Controller The Minis...

29.9.2025 | Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö selvittää hyvinvoinnin ja terveyden edistämisen interventioiden arviointitoimintaa ja näyttöön perustuvien suositusten nykytilaa, tarpeita ja toteuttamisvaihtoehtoja. Tavoitteena on tulosten valossa tukea päätöksentekoa ja tehostaa vaikuttavien interventioiden eli toimintamallien käyttöönottoa Suomessa.

4.5.2025 | INSOTE – Integroitu työote uusiutuvassa sote- keskuksessa: kohti dialogisuutta, osallisuutta ja tilallisuutta -hankkeen (2021 – 2022) loppuraportti Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriölle 3.2.2023 Yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunta PI Aino Ritala-Koskinen ...

10.12.2025 | The wellbeing services county reform is progressing towards the set objectives throughout Finland, but there are still many issues left to address. This is according to a broad-based interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform made by an independent expert group.

17.3.2026 | SELVITYS SOSIAALI- JA TERVEYSTIETOJEN TIETOALTAISTA Evgeniya Kurvinen – Tomi Voutilainen Itä-Suomen yliopisto 4.3.2026 Tiivistelmä Itä-Suomen yliopisto teki sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön toimeksiannosta selvityksen sosiaali- ja terveystietoja si...

14.3.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health held a stakeholder event on 11 March to discuss the pandemic treaty that is currently being negotiated under the World Health Organization (WHO). The aim of the treaty is to strengthen international preparedness for pandemics and other public health emergencies. 

21.8.2025 | Pysähdy hetkeksi ja kuvittele, että olet lempiartistisi konsertissa, sienimetsässä, lenkillä rantapolulla, taidenäyttelyssä, kannustamassa lempijoukkuettasi tai soutelemassa järvellä… Herättikö jokin näistä kuvitelluista tilanteista sinussa miellyttävän tunteen? Ovatko tämänkaltaiset tilanteet auttaneet sinua jaksamaan arjessa ja tuoneet elämääsi rikkautta ja tasapainoa?

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...

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...

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...

22.9.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has today published three memorandums assessing the combined impacts of the Government’s changes to social security during this parliamentary term. The memorandums focus particularly on the impacts of the comprehensive reform of social assistance.

22.9.2025 | The Government proposes a comprehensive reform of social assistance. The changes to be made would, for example, strengthen the obligations of recipients to apply for full-time work and primary benefits. The aim is to clarify the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance, prevent social exclusion among young people and strengthen general government finances.

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...

22.5.2025 | JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ May 22, 2025 Lviv, Ukraine On behalf of the participants of the Second Ministerial Social Policy Summit, we reaffirm our shared commitment to supporting Ukraine and Moldova on their path towards joining the European Union. We firm...

15.11.2024 | The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU will hold an informal meeting of the ministers responsible for demography in Budapest on 18 and 19 November 2024. The meeting will exchange views on the basis of background documents prepared by the presidency. No decisions will be made at the informal meeting. Director General Annakaisa Iivari will represent Finland at the meeting.

23.9.2024 | As outlined in the Programme of Petteri Orpo’s Government, the Government will implement a central government productivity programme to support the Government’s objective for sustainable public finances.

2.6.2023 | SUOMEN SÄÄDÖSKOKOELMAN SOPIMUS SARJA Julkaistu Helsingissä 31 päivänä toukokuuta 2016 (Suomen säädöskokoelman n:o 398/2016) Valtioneuvoston asetus 27/2016 vammaisten henkilöiden oikeuksista tehdyn yleissopimuksen ja sen valinnaisen pöytäkir- jan v...

24.7.2024 | An informal meeting of EU health ministers will be held on 24 and 25 July 2024. Finland will be represented in the meeting by Annakaisa Iivari, Director General at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

10.12.2025 | Vahvat rahataidot lapsiperheille – VaRa-intervention satunnaistettu kontrolloitu tutkimus VaRa VN/10969/2024 VÄLIRAPORTTI 25.9.2025 Dosentti Anniina Kaittila, VTT Katri Viitasalo Turun yliopisto, Sosiaalitieteiden laitos, Invest tutkimusyksikkö sa...

16.9.2024 | A good working life is the cornerstone of society. Ensuring health and safety at work is an important prerequisite for a good working life. The policy for the work environment and wellbeing at work until 2030 entitled ‘Safe and healthy working conditions and work ability for everyone’ defines the objectives and priorities concerning health and safety at work in Finland.

19.12.2024 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services concerning preparedness, readiness and incident management in both normal and emergency conditions. The proposal is based on the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government.

8.8.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of EUR 14.8 billion for the Ministry and its branch of government for 2026. This is about EUR 475 million less than in the 2025 Budget. The funding of wellbeing services counties is not included in the appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its branch of government. Instead, it falls under the main title of the Ministry of Finance.

21.12.2023 | Finland’s communicable diseases legislation is being reformed in 2023–2025. During the reform, a number of thematic workshops will be organised to give the key stakeholders an opportunity to express their views. The first workshop was held on 18 December under the theme business activities and employment.

9.5.2022 | 1 Monikielisyys ja kielellinen haavoittuvuus sosiaalityön digitalisoituvilla kentillä (SOSKIELI) Konsortiohankkeen osapuolet: Åbo Akademi ja Helsingin yliopisto Vastuullinen tutkija (PI): VTT, dosentti Camilla Nordberg 1. Tutkimuksen tarkoitus ja ...

27.2.2024 | 1 Perheen tukena – perhetyö lapsi- ja perhesosiaalityössä (PETU) PETU on Jyväskylän yliopiston (JYU), Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulun (Jamk), Lastensuojelun kehittämisyhteisö Pesäpuun ja Keski-Suomen sosiaalialan osaamiskeskuksen (KOSKE) tutkimus- ...

12.4.2024 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Heath published a revised National Pandemic Preparedness Plan for Healthcare and Social Welfare, which aims to promote health security and combat the effects of pandemics on people and society.

11.12.2023 | THL:n kehittämishankkeessa laaditaan Suomelle ehdotusta hyvinvointitalouden ohjausmalliksi, joka vahvistaisi hyvinvointilähtöistä politiikantekoa Suomessa. THL:n ja OECD:n WISE-keskuksen 21.–22.11.2023 järjestämä työpaja kokosi yhteen virkamiehiä hyvinvointitalouden edelläkävijämaista pohtimaan hallinnon käytäntöjen toimivuutta ja juurruttamista. Samalla se tarjosi oppeja Suomelle oman ohjausmallin kehittämiseksi.

25.4.2024 | Amendments have been made to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Decree on Vaccinations and to the Government Decree on Voluntary COVID-19 Vaccinations in order to allow dentists, senior pharmacists, pharmacists, practical nurses and biomedical laboratory scientists to administer vaccines in future. The aim of the amendments is to accelerate the administration of seasonal vaccines in particular and alleviate the shortage of healthcare personnel.

19.3.2024 | The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing a pandemic treaty to improve global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The next round of treaty negotiations will be held in Geneva on 18–29 March, and Finland will take part in the negotiations.

7.11.2023 | Matti Väliahdet from Rovaniemi, Christopher Gullmans from Espoo and Janne Saarela from Seinäjoki were today awarded the Father of the Year prize. The prize was presented to the winners by Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

27.5.2024 | The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding its 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva on 27 May–1 June 2024. This is one of the most significant World Health Assembly meetings in years. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

29.1.2024 | A recent report compares Finns’ state of health and Finnish health services with other EU states and Nordic countries. Released by the European Commission, focus areas of the report include the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and mental health. Although Finland does well in many respects, there are challenges especially in the availability of health services.

2.10.2023 | Estonia and Finland seek to increase the electronic exchange of information on the social security of workers moving between the two countries. The aim is to improve the implementation of social security and to prevent errors and abuse. 

9.1.2026 | Radical Health Festival, Europe’s leading health sector event, will take place in Helsinki from 19 to 21 January 2026, offering an international setting for leading health sector experts to discuss how to leverage artificial intelligence and data in healthcare. The event will gather professionals, decision-makers and businesses in the field to accelerate renewal in health and social services.

28.12.2023 | The aim is to accelerate and streamline the administration of vaccines and to alleviate the shortage of healthcare personnel. The amendments that are being circulated for comments would allow dentists, senior pharmacists, pharmacists, practical nurses and biomedical laboratory scientists to administer vaccines. The amendments would also make it easier to organise vaccination at pharmacies’ health service points.

26.4.2023 | Finland is participating in the drafting of a new global pandemic treaty. Finland’s goal is for the treaty to improve global health security. However, Finland stresses the responsibility of states for their own health security and related preparedness.

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,...

3.10.2022 | Saturday night on 25 June got off to a good start in Oslo. It was the Pride Festival. It was the day before the Pride Parade.

7.9.2023 | The Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen was held in Kyiv on 6 September 2023 on the invitation of Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine. The summit also brought together health ministers from EU Member States and WHO European Region who signed a statement at the event. 

9.12.2022 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on a proposal for amending the Government Decree on Voluntary COVID-19 Vaccinations. The amendment would make it possible to offer COVID-19 vaccines to children aged six months or over. Under the Decree currently in force, the minimum age for children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is five years. The deadline for submitting comments is 5 January 2023.

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...