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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...

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.

Guidance of information management in healthcare and social welfare The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general planning, guidance and monitoring of information management within its administrative branch and for the f...

The mission of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is to safeguard people’s functional capacity, livelihoods and services so that we can live in a stable, equitable and sustainable society.

4.11.2025 | The Second UN World Summit for Social Development will be organised on 4–6 2025 November in Doha, Qatar. The summit will strengthen the global commitment to social development. Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen will represent Finland at the summit.

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...

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organisation of developed market-based economies with 37 member countries. Finland’s work with the OECD primarily involves the responsible officials fro...

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...

Insurance The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for developing and drafting the legislation on statutory insurance, insurance companies and pension institutions. The goal is a sustainable social security and private insurance, b...

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...

United Nations (UN) The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health takes part in shaping Finland’s UN policy with respect to social, health and gender equality affairs. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health participates in the preparation of conven...

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...

Nordic cooperation Nordic cooperation involves Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The vision of the Nordic countries is to make the Nordic region the most sustainable and integrated region in the wor...

Barents Euro-Arctic Council The Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) works under the Trio Presidency of Finland, Sweden and Norway in 2024. Finland held the Presidency of the Council from 2021 to 2023. Finland also chaired the Joint Working Group on...

Arctic cooperation

The MSAH is responsible for preparing legislation on occupational safety and health care, and policy development on occupational safety and health and wellbeing at work.

Förenta nationerna (FN) Social- och hälsovårdsministeriet deltar i Finlands FN-politik så som expert i social-, hälso- och jämlikhetspolitik. Social- och hälsovårdsministeriet deltar i beredningen av de avtal som hör till dess förvaltningsområde o...

The Ministry as a workplace In the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, your work has a significant impact on society and it affects the lives of everyone living in Finland. You will participate in building a socially sustainable Finland, where ...

Northern Dimension The Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Wellbeing (NDPHS) provides a platform for expert-level cooperation in the field of health and wellbeing. NDPHS aims to lead the way to sustainable and inclusive soci...

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...

The welfare of the population in Finland relies on and is strengthened by health care and health promotion.

Development of working life Thriving staff and work communities, together with safe work environments, form the basis for a sustainable working life and productivity. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is developing working life in accordan...

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...

The WHO Pandemic Agreement aims to strengthen international preparedness for pandemics and other public health emergencies.

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...

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...

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.

nordic cooperation

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...

Creating a good working life together A good working life improves wellbeing, the economic sustainability of society and the competitiveness of companies. A good working life requires that wellbeing at work, work ability and productivity be streng...

30.10.2025 | Officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health have prepared a healthcare and social welfare 2040 vision to outline their view of the long-term direction of health and social services in Finland. The aim is to ensure that, in future, people in Finland will continue to receive effective, equal and sustainable services which they can trust.

norden välmående

The large-scale interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform aims to assess the achievement of the reform objectives in 2025 in relation to the objectives laid down in legislation. The evaluation will be carried out on the basis of the implementation in 2023–2025 and by examining the preconditions for achieving the long-term objectives of the reform.

OECD Taloudellisen yhteistyön ja kehityksen järjestö OECD, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, on kehittyneiden markkinatalousmaiden yhteistyöjärjestö, johon kuuluu 37 jäsenmaata. OECD-työskentelyyn osallistuvat pääsääntöisesti ...

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.

8.10.2025 | Gender Equality Days is the main annual event in the field of gender equality in Finland, and this year it will be organised as part of the programme for Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the UN World Conference on Women in 1995.

3.9.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is preparing a national model and indicators for knowledge-based management to support research, development, education, innovation and competence development in the wellbeing services counties. An open online event will be held this autumn to provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to join in the preparation of the knowledge-based management model.

3.5.2024 | The strategy for digitalisation and information management in healthcare and social welfare sparked discussion at a meeting of the ministerial working group on a sustainable welfare society. The ministers of the working group recognise that digitalisation plays an important role in developing new ways of providing services and using existing information to support people’s wellbeing in Finland.

Yhdistyneet kansakunnat YK Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö osallistuu Suomen YK-politiikkaan sosiaali-, terveys- ja tasa-arvopolitiikan asiantuntijana. STM osallistuu omalle hallinnonalalleen kuuluvien sopimusten valmisteluun ja vastaa niiden täytä...

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.

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.

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.

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.

12.12.2023 | Estonia and the World Health Organization (WHO) will hold a conference on the development of health systems on 12-13 December 2023, where Finland will be represented by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso. In her speech, the Minister will address the economy of wellbeing, particularly the mutually supportive nature of both wellbeing policy measures and structures and the economy.

3.12.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has published the Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan for 2026–2033 aimed at preventing all forms of violence against children. The plan, which will be implemented at the government level, is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Lanzarote Convention and national statutes that require all forms of violence against children to be combated.

23.9.2024 | The Finnish Government proposes about EUR 15.2 billion in appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its administrative branch for 2025. This is about EUR 1.1 billion less than in 2024.

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.

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.

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...

7.2.2024 | Finland is currently participating in the 62nd session of the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD62) that is held in New York. The Finnish delegation is led by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso.

6.6.2025 | ​​​​​​​The Baltic Pride Conference, taking place in Vilnius on 6 June, will discuss the inclusion and rights of LGBTI people. The event will be opened by State Secretary Laura Rissanen as part of Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

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.

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.

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.

24.6.2024 | Throughout the month of June, we are celebrating International Pride Month. The theme of Helsinki Pride this year is ‘Peace and Hope’. We all have the right to peace. We all have the right to hope. They have been selected as this year’s theme for a good reason.

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.

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.

10.1.2024 | In the first phase of the national health and wellbeing programme Terveydeksi (‘To Your Health’), concrete measures will be selected based on scientific expertise. The implementation of the measures in the second phase will start in autumn 2024. 

1.12.2023 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has published a strategy for digitalisation and information management in healthcare and social welfare.

12.12.2023 | Den 12 - 13 december 2023 ordnar Estland och WHO en konferens om hälsosystem. Finland representeras av social- och hälsovårdsminister Kaisa Juuso. Ministerns anförande ska handla om välfärdsekonomi, och i synnerhet det ömsesidigt stödjande förhållandet mellan ekonomin och de hälsopolitiska åtgärderna och strukturerna. 

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. 

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

29.8.2019 | Now people need to wait weeks to see a doctor. Clients are lost in a jungle of services when trying to find the right service. Municipalities’ costs for health and social services cannot be kept under control, which is why municipalities are considering to reduce their basic services.

Kansallinen ikäohjelma vuoteen 2030 Tavoitteena ikäkyvykäs Suomi Periaatepäätös Valtioneuvosto, Helsinki 2022 Valtioneuvosto This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohi...

8.12.2022 | The wellbeing services counties have been awarded discretionary government grants following the second application round for government grants under Finland’s Sustainable Growth Programme. In total, the counties have received nearly EUR 300 million in funding. Funding is directed especially to improving the availability and continuity of healthcare and social welfare services.

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...

Nationellt åldersprogram fram till 2030 För ett ålderskunnigt Finland Principbeslut Statsrådet, Helsingfors 2022 Statsrådet This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohib...

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...

8.12.2021 | The Nordic Welfare Forum will be held on 8–9 December 2021 as part of Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021. The Forum is one of the main events in the health and social sector during Finland’s Presidency.

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...

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...

3.1.2022 | On Tuesday, 30 November 2021, the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Ministry of Justice co-organised a seminar on the wellbeing and safety of LGBTI people as part of the programme for the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

20.12.2018 | From: Sustainable Modernity: the Nordic Model and Beyond (forthcoming 2018) Is there a Nordic Humanism? OECD Gini Coefficient 2014 Nordic model: Towards a the “Wellbeing Society” • Out of 13 times, the Nordic countries have ranked 11 times as the ...

10.9.2021 | Det är nödvändigt att skapa förutsättningar för investeringar i människors och miljöns hälsa, tillräckliga resurser, riskförebyggande och innovativ social- och hälsovård, miljöskydd och andra stödsystem i världen, konstaterar Världshälsoorganisationens (WHO) alleuropeiska kommission för hälsa och hållbar utveckling i sin slutrapport.

1.12.2023 | This year, the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP28, will host the first-ever Health Day and climate-health ministerial. The purpose of the thematic day is to highlight how climate change affects people’s health and wellbeing as well as the resilience of health systems and societies and to point out that the climate crisis is also a health crisis.

16.3.2021 | Den oberoende alleuropeiska kommissionen för hälsa och hållbar utveckling, som lyder under Världshälsoorganisationen (WHO), uppmanar EU:s regeringar, ekonomiska och sociala intressegrupper och internationella organisationer att påskynda återhämtningen efter covid-19-pandemin.

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). 

17.9.2021 | The Government has completed its proposal for the family leave reform, and the proposal will now proceed to Parliament for consideration as decided by the Government on 16 September. The reform is scheduled to enter into force on 1 August 2022.

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 ...

1.12.2020 | Research and innovation activities in the health sector will be developed in a target-oriented way in 2020–2023. People’s health and wellbeing will be improved through research and technological development. Steps will also be taken to advance Finland’s international position as a forerunner in health sector research and innovation, investment and new business.

17.4.2020 | The economy is in crisis. Wellbeing is unevenly distributed and not everyone has equal opportunities in society. We are concerned about the state of the environment. The world of work is changing, and ageing of population will change the demographic structure. Now, if ever, is the time to talk about wellbeing broadly.

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...

27.2.2024 | Tutkimussuunnitelma Leo Nyqvist 1 Digitaalisen väkivallan tunnistaminen ja siihen puuttuminen sosiaalityössä (DIGISOS) 1. Tarkoitus ja tavoitteet 1.1. Tutkimushankkeen merkitys suhteessa nykytietämykseen sekä tutkimukselliset lähtökoh- dat Lähisuh...

9.5.2022 | 1 Aikuissosiaalityön menetelmien vaikuttavuus (AIKUMETOD) 1. Tarkoitus ja tavoitteet 1.1. Tutkimushankkeen merkitys suhteessa nykytietämykseen sekä tutkimukselliset lähtökoh- dat: Aikuissosiaalityö on yksi määrällisesti keskeisimpiä suomalaisen so...

30.10.2018 | The 70th Session of the Nordic Council starts this week in Oslo and its agenda includes various topics, such as culture, environment, sustainable development, international cooperation, and other matters relating to the current challenges facing our welfare states.

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.

19.12.2019 | The final report on a separate study concerning possible special arrangements for health and social services in Uusimaa, the Greater Helsinki region or Helsinki proposes that further preparation be based on a model where healthcare and social welfare as well as rescue services would be organised in four autonomous regions and the City of Helsinki. The primary responsibility for organising specialised medical care would also rest with these regions.

6.4.2022 | Markku Lehto, Jyri Liukko, Pasi Moisio Vapauden, tasa-arvon ja solidaarisuuden rajat sosiaalipolitiikan uudessa paradigmassa SOSIAALITURVAKOMITEAN JULKAISUJA 2022:6 Vapauden, tasa-arvon ja solidaarisuuden rajat sosiaalipolitiikan uudessa paradigma...

28.6.2018 | By international standards, Finland has been successful in preventing chronic, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). That is why we can venture to set an example for others.

18.10.2017 | Pirkko Mattila, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, will attend a high-level conference on noncommunicable diseases in Montevideo from 18 till 20 October.

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...

2.12.2016 | Urbanisation will continue, and health and social services will probably be increasingly concentrated in growth centres. To prevent regional differences from escalating, service solutions must be customised by region. Services in smaller communities can be guaranteed by leveraging new service concepts and with regional cooperation. Centralisation of hospital services will improve productivity and save on costs.

9.5.2022 | 1 Vuoden 2021 yliopistotasoisen tutkimuksen hankehaku Hankkeen johtaja: Kirsi Juhila Hankkeen valmistellut tutkimusryhmä: Kirsi Juhila, Päivikki Kuoppakangas, Veera Niemi, Jenni Mäki, Johanna Ranta, Jarkko Rasinkangas, Jari Stenvall Hankkeen toteu...

3.12.2021 | EU ministers responsible for employment and social affairs will discuss the directive on adequate minimum wages as a way of combating in-work poverty. Other items on their agenda include pay transparency and gender equality in the labour market.

9.5.2022 | 1 Harkittua vammaissosiaalityötä (HaraVa) 1. Tarkoitus ja tavoitteet 1.1. Merkitys suhteessa nykytietämykseen sekä tutkimukselliset lähtökohdat Sosiaalityön tutkimuksessa vammaisuus on jäänyt marginaaliin, vaikka vammaisia ihmisiä on arvioitu olev...

18.12.2020 | The Government and central labour market organisations have negotiated joint equal pay measures for the period 2020–2023. The Equal Pay Programme aims to reduce the average pay gap between women and men. The aims would be achieved through agreement and pay policies, development of pay systems, harmonising work and family life, and reducing gender segregation in working life.