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fi sv en National Genome Centre Data on people's genetic makeup helps make better personalised choices, target the screening of diseases, specify diagnostics, and choose the best and most effective treatment. In Finland, the development of persona...

16.12.2024 | På webbsidan om den nationella barnstrategin publicerades den 16 december 2024 en ny anvisning om marknadsföringen av livsmedel till barn. Anvisningen har utarbetats av Helsingfors universitet inom ramen för den nationella barnstrategin. I anvisningen anges vilka livsmedel som inte får marknadsföras till barn.

Center för läkemedelsutveckling Vår högklassiga och konkurrenskraftiga medicinska grundforskning skapar en grund för uppkomsten av läkemedelspreparat, men utifrån detta har kommersiella produkter i internationell jämförelse tills vidare sällan upp...

fi sv en The National Cancer Centre promotes equal care, research and development The purpose of founding a national cancer centre is to improve cancer care and promote research. Modes of therapy are changing fast. National coordination is necessa...

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.

23.3.2026 | The sufficient Finnish or Swedish proficiency of professionals working in the healthcare and social welfare sector forms an essential part of patient safety and service quality. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is currently preparing measures to make it easier to ensure language proficiency, and to support employers in enhancing professionals’ language skills.

9.10.2025 | The Government proposes amendments to child welfare legislation The aim is to strengthen children’s right to special protection, clarify the use of educational practices and restrictions and improve the opportunities for child welfare services to ensure a safe everyday life for children. 

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 – ...

Older workers The reduction in the numbers of people of working age underscores the need to ensure that older workers can continue in employment for longer than at present. The working career of older workers can be prolonged by maintaining work a...

Project on medicines and financial base of pharmacies The Government Programme includes numerous entries related to medicines and pharmacies. These entries will be implemented in a project titled ‘Medicines and the financial base of pharmacies’ in...

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...

Value of lost labour input in Finland The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has estimated the minimum costs of lost labour input to the Finnish workplaces and society. The costs of lost labour input rise to about 2 billion euros every month. T...

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 ...

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. ...

Children, youth and families The MSAH is responsible for family policy as well as maintaining and developing the welfare of children, youth and families jointly with other ministries. The MSAH's scope of responsibility is particularly concerned wi...

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...

Reform encourages both parents to take family leave The Family leave reform entered into force on 1 August 2022. The number of parental leave days will increase and there will be more flexibility for parents to take leave. The reform aims to incre...

fi sv en Improving health through the use of genomic data In the next few years, the use of genomic data in healthcare will rapidly increase. In the future, decisions regarding the prevention and treatment of diseases will be increasingly based on...

Economy of Wellbeing The economy of wellbeing is a decision-making approach which enables us to achieve a better balance between the social, economic and ecological dimensions of sustainable development. It creates opportunities to increase wellbe...

Working for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health All employment relationships in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health are public-service employment relationships. Public-service employment relationships always adhere to the Public Servan...

Prevention of alcohol and drug related harm and addictions The aim of public authorities is to prevent and reduce the risks, harm and problems caused by the use of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products as well as drug use and gambling. The Minist...

29.11.2019 | Risker som hänför sig till mat och kost hör till de viktigaste faktorer som påverkar hälsan i Finland. Livsmedelsverket, Institutet för hälsa och välfärd och Helsingfors universitet publicerade den 29 november en gemensam forskningsrapport som är den första att behandla livsmedelssäkerhet på ett övergripande sätt ur både ett hälsomässigt och ett ekonomiskt perspektiv.

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...

Rational, or sensible, pharmacotherapy is effective, safe, of high quality, economical and equal.

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...

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is preparing regulation on service choices in both healthcare and social welfare.

Gambling Policy Programme improves prevention and reduction of harm The Gambling Policy Programme, prepared under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, sets guidelines for the prevention and reduction of harm caused by gambling up to 2030. It...

Advisory Board on Biotechnology The Advisory Board on Biotechnology is an expert body providing advice on matters related to biotechnology and gene technology. It promotes cooperation between public authorities and researchers and operators in the...

Frequently asked questions about the Act on Secondary Use of Health and Social Data Usein kysyttyä: The law mentions the primary and secondary use of customer data. What is the difference between these two concepts? The primary use of customer dat...

fi sv en Personalised medicine creates preconditions for more effective treatment Personalised medicine promotes the health and wellbeing of individuals by utilising research, new technologies and a wider range of information resources. The aim is...

30.6.2022 | 1 Kohti tutkimusperustaista osallisuuden edistämistä nuorten aikuisten sosiaali- työssä (NuoriSO) Vastuututkija: Henna Pirskanen (Lapin yliopisto), muut toteuttajatahot: Sanni Tiitinen (Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulu), Maija Mänttäri-van der Kuip (...

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...

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...

9.5.2022 | Lasten tukena – tukihenkilö- ja tukiperhetoiminta lapsi- ja perhesosiaalityössä (LATU) LATU-hanke on Jyväskylän yliopiston (JY) ja Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulun (JAMK) tutkimus- ja kehittämishanke. Kokonaisuuden johtajana toimii dosentti, YTT Joh...

Publicity of documents and requests for information Document publicity descriptions Documents produced by the authorities in the performance of their duties are public, unless special provisions on their secrecy have been laid down by law. In acco...

Work ability programme The aim of the work ability programme was to eliminate obstacles to the employment of people with partial work ability and develop services to support the work ability of people with partial work ability The work ability pro...

Preparedness in Wellbeing Services Counties 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 ...

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...

12.2.2026 | The health status of people in Finland is in many respects better than the EU average, and the service system is fairly comprehensive. However, a recent country report by the OECD and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies indicates that access to care is not realised equally in Finland. In 2024, 12.4% of those who required medical care reported that they had not received the services they needed. The share is the second highest in the EU.

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.

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...

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.

8.12.2025 | This year, the International Gender Equality Prize was awarded to Masha Foundation , a Ukrainian public organisation which carries out significant work to help Ukrainian women overcome the psychological consequences of war and other violence.

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.

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.

18.2.2026 | 1 Joint conference statement Roma and Sinti Women in the Public Sphere: Turning Voices into Change 3 December 2025 I. Core values of equality and human rights We, the participants of the multi-country conference “Roma and Sinti Women in the Public...

1.2.2023 | The National Genome Strategy responds to the challenges of a rapidly changing operating environment. The strategy brings together actions to utilise genomic data for the benefit of citizens’ health.

Provisions will be laid down on the principles according to which the inclusion of services and methods in the range of services and their removal will be implemented in public healthcare and social welfare. The possibility of enacting provisions on a national actor who can make a binding decision on the inclusion of the method in the range of public services will be investigated.

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.

4.7.2025 | Starting from 1 September 2025, persons aged 65 and over can book a private healthcare appointment and pay only a deductible that is equal to the client fee charged for public healthcare services. The pilot is based on developing the reimbursements paid by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). The President of the Republic approved the legislative amendments enabling the pilot on 4 July 2025.

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.

9.4.2025 | Prime Minister Orpo’s Government has set an objective of adjusting public sector activities to ensure that the national economy is on a sustainable footing. At the moment, it looks like it will be difficult to achieve this objective over the next few years though. The decision-makers in the wellbeing services counties are in a key role here. Reaching fiscal balance in general government finances is essential.

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.

18.1.2023 | The revised EU Drinking Water Directive has been implemented in Finnish national legislation through statutory amendments that took effect on 12 January 2023. These amendments concern a wide range of laws and regulations. The main goal of the reform is to safeguard the quality of water intended for human consumption and to provide more information on water quality.

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...

9.11.2022 | Kai Rinkinen from Rovaniemi, Jere Jokinen from Kerava and Janne Pihanperä from Masku were today awarded the Father of the Year Prize. The Prize was presented by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen

8.5.2025 | The series of social security dialogues held by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Timeout Foundation brought out a wide variety of views and development suggestions from citizens on the future of social security. The outcomes of the dialogues will be presented at a webinar on 15 May 2025.

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...

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.  

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.

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.

31.5.2018 | A working group, appointed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, proposes a road map for ending the use of tobacco and other nicotine products in Finland by 2030. It would mean that less than 5% of the adult population use tobacco and nicotine products daily. Reaching this goal, recorded in the Tobacco Act, requires that the future governments monitor and assess tobacco policy and develop new measures.

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.

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...

23.11.2023 | The minimum staffing level for care personnel in units providing 24-hour care for older people will rise from the current minimum level of 0.65 employees per client to 0.7 employees per client on 1 January 2028. During the transition period, the service structure will be developed and a number of measures will be taken to improve the availability of healthcare and social welfare personnel. 

16.12.2021 | Municipalities must in future determine whether occupational healthcare service providers that operate in their areas can participate in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, if this is necessary to ensure the provision of vaccinations without delays. On Thursday 16 December, the Government decided to amend section 1 of the Government Decree on Voluntary COVID-19 Vaccinations.

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...

9.5.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on a draft government proposal concerning the general social security benefit by 19 June 2025. This is the first stage of the extensive social security reform where different basic social security benefits will be gradually combined into a single general social security benefit.

13.3.2023 | At their meeting on 13 March, the EU social affairs and employment ministers will discuss the labour market situation of temporarily displaced Ukrainians and the situation of children. The ministers will also exchange views on the European Semester for economic policy coordination and the related sustainable growth survey and joint employment report.

31.3.2021 | Tanken bakom inrättandet av ett nationellt center för läkemedelsutveckling är att främja en konkurrenskraftig läkemedelsutveckling. Startandet av centrets verksamhet är också ett viktigt steg i genomförandet av tillväxtstrategin för hälsobranschen. På lång sikt har centret sannolikt en central roll också när det gäller att bereda sig på störningar i tillgången på läkemedel på nationell nivå.

10.12.2024 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Timeout Foundation are hosting a series of 25 Timeout dialogues to discuss the future of social security. The aim is to increase public debate on social security, strengthen dialogue between various parties, increase citizens’ participation in the social security reform, and produce information to support decision-making.

8.10.2020 | OECD’s research “Faces of Joblessness” identifies eight faces of joblessness in Finland. The research is acquired by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Kela. The results will give insight on the social security reform.

12.5.2023 | The measures launched during the working capacity programme to create a more inclusive labour market and to employ people with impaired working capacity should be continued and developed further. The employees’ ability to work is an essential factor in the pursuit of a higher employment rate. These are some conclusions of the evaluation report on the recently completed working capacity programme.

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,...

16.3.2021 | Maailman terveysjärjestön (WHO) alainen riippumaton yleiseurooppalainen terveyden ja kestävän kehityksen komissio vetoaa Euroopan hallituksiin, talous- ja sosiaalialan sidosryhmiin sekä kansainvälisiin järjestöihin covid-19-pandemiasta toipumisen nopeuttamiseksi.

1.9.2023 | Ministry of Social Affairs and Health | Meritullinkatu 8, Helsinki, Finland | P.O. Box 33, FI-00023 Government 1 The High Level Group on the Economy Of Wellbeing 1. The Government of Finland invited a number of high-level experts and representativ...

8.3.2023 | Genome strategy Content Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 3 STRATEGIC GOAL 1: Finland makes use of its unique prerequisites in re...

4.12.2017 | The Slush side event organised by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Thursday 30 November was a creative event with a lot of pitching.

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...

10.9.2021 | We now have an opportunity to create the conditions that encourage investment in a healthy population and planet, with adequately resourced, responsive and innovative health care, social care, environmental protection and related systems, the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development appointed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) states in its final report.

19.5.2022 | COVID-19 also spread widely among the older population in early 2022. This led to a rise in the number of COVID-19-related deaths occurring within 30 days of testing positive. However, this trend took a downward turn in late April–early May. Despite the considerable number of infections, the mortality rate among those who have received at least three vaccine doses has clearly remained at a lower level when compared to the rest of the population.

13.1.2022 | The number of parental leave days will increase and there will be more flexibility for parents to take leave. The reform aims to increase equality in working life and between parents and to take better account of different types of families. The new types of parental leave will mainly apply to families where the child’s estimated date of birth is 4 September 2022 or later.   

22.10.2020 | Under den senaste månaden har antalet nya coronavirusfall ökat betydligt i Finland, men den senaste veckan verkar ökningen ha avtagit. Jämfört med förra veckan har också andelen positiva testresultat minskat i hela landet.

8.12.2021 | Webinar: Nordic Welfare Forum 2021 The Nordic model and social sustainability Date and time: 8-9 December, start at 1 pm on the 8th of December and end at 1 pm on 9th of December (EET time zone) Place: Online webinar Moderator: Jens Berg Program 8...

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.

2.2.2021 | The Global Risks Report  of the World Economic Forum includes extreme weather and climate action failure, infectious diseases and digital inequality in the list of world’s greatest threats in 2021. These issues also directly impact occupational safety and health (OSH). 

6.9.2024 | 15 April 2024 Ministry of Social Affairs and Health policy on international and EU cooperation for 2024–2027 The policies of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on international and EU coopera- tion for 2024–2027 guide the Ministry and its a...

8.10.2020 | Antalet nya COVID-19-fall i Finland har ökat betydligt varje vecka under de senaste månaderna. Incidensen ökar kraftigt och andelen positiva prov av de testade har fortsatt att öka. I över hälften av de nya sjukdomsfallen förblir smittkällan oklar.

19.2.2021 | The Government has submitted to Parliament a proposal for amending two sections of the Communicable Diseases Act. The amendment to section 16 of the Act concerns the right of the Regional State Administrative Agencies and physicians to decide on compulsory health examinations and the amendment to section 22 concerns the obligation of those who have or have been exposed to a communicable disease to provide information about themselves.

11.12.2023 | The International Gender Equality Prize was awarded to the Afghan Women Skills Development Center, which works to promote and protect the rights of women in Afghanistan. The organisation does important humanitarian work to promote the safety of Afghan women.

12.10.2023 | The Government has submitted to Parliament a proposal for amending the Act on the General Housing Allowance. The proposed amendments concern lowering the reimbursement rate of the allowance, tightening the effect of the income that affects the allowance, and abolishing the earned income allowance and the support for owner-occupied housing.

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.

25.4.2019 | Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data has been laid down. The purpose of the act is to make the use of the data smooth and more secure.

8.9.2023 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on a draft bill that proposes amendments to the Act on General Housing Allowance. The proposed amendments would concern lowering the reimbursement rate of the allowance, tightening the effect of the income that affects the allowance, and abolishing the earned income allowance and the support for owner-occupied housing.

19.12.2022 | Children and young people assessed child welfare as ‘adequate’ in a survey commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and carried out by the Central Union for Child Welfare. Children and young people said that child welfare should increase inclusion, reduce staff turnover and improve the regulation related to restrictive measures.

7.5.2020 | The Social Security Committee has started its first and perhaps most important task: defining the problems to be solved by the social security reform.

8.12.2020 | According to the government proposal, the wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki would be responsible for organising rescue services in their respective areas starting at the beginning of 2023. Contract fire brigades could be used to provide these services as at present. The role of central government guidance and direction in rescue services would be strengthened.

17.9.2021 | Press conference on family leave reform, 17 September 2021 Minister Hanna Sarkkinen Minister Tuula Haatainen Family leave reform 1 | #perhevapaauudistus #familyleavereform • Significant investment in families with children • More flexibility and f...

17.9.2021 | Press conference on family leave reform, 17 September 2021 Minister Hanna Sarkkinen Minister Tuula Haatainen Family leave reform 1 | #perhevapaauudistus #familyleavereform • Significant investment in families with children • More flexibility and f...