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Actions to reduce the use of tobacco and nicotine products The key actions to reduce the use of tobacco and related products are: as high product prices as possible (price and tax policies) smoke-free environments banning tobacco product marketing...

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 ...

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...

Amending the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is preparing a government proposal for amending the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data (555/2019). The Act will be amended in...

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...

11.2.2022 | The Government has amended the decree that restricts the activities of food and beverage service businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic. This means that the opening and licensing hours of all food and beverage service businesses will be extended. In addition, the restrictions on the use of the COVID-19 passport will continue until the end of February.

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.

10.12.2025 | 1 VTR-hankkeen väliraportti, elokuu 2025 Rahoituspäätös: VN/10469/2024 Kirsi Juhila, Henna Aalto, Tuuli Kalari, Elli Kurkikangas, Suvi Raitakari, Johanna Ranta & Jenni- Mari Räsänen KOHTI OSALLISUUTTA JA TOIMIJUUTTA TUKEVAA, VAIKUT- TAVAA AIKUISSO...

14.12.2018 | Finns' attitudes to the use of genomic data vary a lot. This was shown by a questionnaire study carried out for the use of the Genome Center working group. Most participants in the study felt that the use of genomic data in scientific research and healthcare is a positive opportunity if it can help to achieve better health.

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.

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.

31.3.2022 | In future, EU COVID-19 vaccination certificates used for travel purposes will remain valid until further notice for those under the age of 18 who have completed the full primary vaccination series (usually two doses). COVID-19 vaccination certificates for adults expire when 270 days, i.e. about nine months, have passed from the last dose of the primary vaccination series. As of yet, no acceptance period applies to certificates issued following the administration of booster doses.

16.4.2026 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Child Home Care Allowances and Private Childcare Allowances. The proposal would implement the Norwegian model for child home care allowance. The proposal seeks to promote the integration and labour market position of women with an immigrant background and to increase the participation of children in early childhood education and care.

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.

Information on cookies on the website Cookies are small text files that are saved in your browser when you visit a website. The purpose of cookies is to maintain certain user preferences (e.g. language) for a certain period of time. In this way, y...

Vera Inspection ICT System The Finnish ICT application Vera is in use in the occupational safety and health administration. In the Vera Inspection ICT System, the inspection report and other enforcement documents are compiled as structured documen...

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

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. ...

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...

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.

The Ministry's social media sites are maintained by the Communications Unit. When necessary, we moderate discussions and delete any illegal or inappropriate comments. We do not comment on individual cases on social media or provide advice for different life situations.

28.12.2021 | The Government has adopted a decree on temporary restrictions to the use of the COVID-19 passport referred to in section 58 i § of the Communicable Diseases Act.

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...

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...

fi sv en ru Send feedback on our website All feedback on our website is welcomed. For all other matters or inquiries, please contact the Registry. Contact Please give your feedback under your own name or, if you wish, anonymously. Providing feedba...

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health steers and develops chemicals legislation, which also covers colourants and auxiliary ingredients used in tattoos and permanent pigmentations.

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...

Other authorities’ responsibilities in the tobacco and nicotine policy The Finnish Supervisory Agency (the market surveillance of the products and the surveillance of marketing bans), and municipalities (the surveillance of the entire Tobacco Act ...

Frequently asked questions Why the family leave reform is needed? Currently, parents take family leave unevenly. This is especially detrimental to the position of women in the job market and their income, which has both short- and long-term effect...

Pharmacotherapy and pharmaceutical service The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the development of pharmaceutical services and for preparation of legislation on pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical services are an integral part ...

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

Tobacco and nicotine policy The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health directs and develops Finland’s tobacco and nicotine policy, the aim of which is ending the use of tobacco and other nicotine products. The goal has been confirmed in the...

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 ...

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...

Radiation protection In Finland, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has supreme authority in supervising compliance with the Radiation Act, and it directs the protection of the public, workers and patients from harmful radiation. The Minist...

fi sv en Overall project description The projects to improve the effective utilization of personalised medicines are linked to former Government’s key project of strengthening competitiveness. In the General Government Fiscal Plan, the Government ...

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...

User's rights and requests for personal data When you want to know what data we store about you and who processes your data, you can check the data we have collected about you and update it, if necessary. You can submit a request to check your per...

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s principles of a safer space The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health adheres to the principles of a safer space. The safer space principles refer to common practices and approaches that aim to make a space ...

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

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...

5.1.2022 | The Government has amended the decree on temporary restrictions to the use of the COVID-19 passport referred to in section 58i of the Communicable Diseases Act. The COVID-19 passport cannot be used as an alternative to regional restrictions on public events and customer premises in Åland.

Assessment of risks associated with gambling Assessing the risks and harm caused by gambling is statutory work conducted by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The Ministry started to assess the risks and harm related to the running of gamb...

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...

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...

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.

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...

Legislation on termination on pregnancy

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...

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...

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 – ...

For the media Media contacts Vivikka Richt, Director of Communications Unit, tel. +358 295 163 396 Annette Rinne, Head of Communications, tel. +358 295 163 316 Communications Unit personnel and contact informatio n Please direct all media inquirie...

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...

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...

Private providers of health and social services, in other words companies, organisations and foundations, already account for about 22 per cent of the whole health and social services sector. They operate in both publicly and privately funded markets.

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...

Private providers of health and social services Private providers of health and social services, in other words companies, organisations and foundations, already account for about 22 per cent of the whole health and social services sector. They op...

Client charges in healthcare and social welfare The Government guides and directs the policy on client charges in healthcare and social welfare through legislation. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that the charges are kept at a reasonable l...

Occupational health and safety legislation is crucial to promoting employees' physical and mental health, as well as conditions of employment.

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...

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Decree on the prescription of medicines (1088/2010), special attention must be given to the safety of pharmaceuticals.

17.2.2026 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is requesting comments on a proposal to amend the Act on Child Home Care Allowances and Private Childcare Allowances. The proposal seeks to promote the integration and employment of women with an immigrant background and to implement the so‑called Norwegian model for child home care allowance, in line with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Petter Orpo.

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

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.

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...

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

nordic cooperation

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 Communities and Functional Capacity The Department for Communities and Functional Capacity is responsible for matters related to health and social services for children, young people and families, services for people with disabiliti...

EU regulation and cooperation in the tobacco policy The EU Directive concerning tobacco products and the EU Directive concerning advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products have been implemented in Finnish tobacco legislation. Directive 2014/4...

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...

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...

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...

Parties responsible for gambling policy The Lotteries Act, which is prepared by the Ministry of the Interior, governs gambling services. Under the Act, the primary objective of gambling policy is to prevent harm. The Programme of Prime Minister Pe...

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...

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...

Finances and operations This page provides information about the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s operational and financial planning, budget, performance guidance process, operating plans and financial statements. The Ministry is responsibl...

11.1.2022 | The Government has amended the decree that restricts the activities of food and beverage service businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic. From now on, all food and beverage services businesses must close at 18.00. In addition, the restrictions on the use of the COVID-19 passport will be extended until the end of January. The decree on the opening hours of food and beverage service businesses will enter into force on 12 January 2022 at 00.00 and it will remain in force until 31 January 2022.

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...

Nanoverkoston tehtävänä on: 1) valmistella nanoteknologian hyödyntämiseen liittyviä turvallisuuskysymyksiä; 2) arvioida valtioneuvoston nanoteknologiaa koskevien yhteisten linjausten tarpeita lähivuosiksi; 3) tiedottaa nanoteknologian sovelluksista ja turvallisuudesta hallinnon, tutkimus- ja kehittämistoiminnan sekä kansalaisten tarpeita silmällä pitäen; sekä 4) valmistella ehdotuksia tarvittavasta nanoteknologiaan liittyvästä yhteistyöstä ja sen organisoinnista.

Benefits for front veterans and war veterans Women and men who served in Finnish wars are entitles as war veterans to certain special state benefits. Veterans' benefits are intended to support living at home and facilitate procuring services for h...

Alcohol Act The provisions on the production, import, sale, marketing and use of alcoholic beverages have been compiled in the Alcohol Act that entered into force in 2018. Alcohol Act 1102/2017 (Finlex), in Finnish and Swedish Government proposal ...

30.12.2021 | The Government has issued a decree amending section 58i of the Communicable Diseases Act to temporarily restrict the use of the COVID-19 passport. The COVID-19 passport cannot be used as an alternative to regional restrictions on public events and customer premises in the hospital districts of East Savo and North Karelia.

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...

Implementation of sensible pharmacotherapy Service organisers are responsible for ensuring that residents have access to the necessary social and health care services. It is essential for service organisers and providers to ensure the implementati...

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-...

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...

Organisations and associations as part of the healthcare and social welfare system. There are more than 11,000 healthcare and social welfare organisations in Finland (2020). There are also a large number of organisations in the fields of sports, culture and rescue services.

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Press releases about Coronavirus Current Issues More healthcare professionals to be allowed to administer vaccines Type: Press release Publication date: 25.4.2024 13.56 New Pandemic Preparedness Plan takes account of experiences during COVID-19 er...

Drug policy Finland makes use of social policy, national legislation and international agreements to prevent the demand and supply of drugs reduce the harm caused by drugs ensure that people with drug problems receive treatment as early as possibl...

Social security for athletes, grant recipients and students Social security and pensions is provided under special arrangements in the case of certain professional groups: Athletes Pension and accident insurenace is compulsory until the age of 65 ...

Welfare and health promotion The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health supports the welfare of people in Finland via social and health services and by ensuring income security. Legislation » Many areas of health legislation enhance welfare...

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...

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...

Primary healthcare Health and social services centres are the nearest and most familiar care facilities to residents, providing many of the healthcare services organised by the wellbeing services counties. Health and social services centres provid...

Mediation in criminal and civil cases Mediation in criminal and civil cases is a free-of-charge public service where volunteer mediators mediate between the parties to a crime or a dispute and assist them in the negotiations. The purpose of mediat...

Further information fi sv en Drug Development Centre to promote competitive development of drugs Finland has competitive basic medical research of high quality that has the potential of developing new medicinal products. However, so far commercial...

17.12.2021 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on a draft government proposal according to which the nationwide use of the EU Digital COVID Certificate, i.e. the COVID-19 passport, would also be possible by law when there are no restrictions in force.

Cosmetic products Cosmetic product legislation ensures that the products are safe for human health. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general guidance, monitoring and development of operations pursuant to the Act on ...