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19.9.2025 | The WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted at the World Health Assembly on 20 May 2025. Now negotiations are underway to agree an annex to the Pandemic Agreement that will establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System. The negotiations took place in Geneva on 15–19 September 2025.

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.

5.12.2022 | The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing a new international pandemic treaty to improve pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The aim is for the treaty to be ready in May 2024. The third meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to discuss the treaty will be held in Geneva on 5–7 December.

26.10.2020 | As part of the preparation of the health and social services reform, an exercise will be carried out to establish cooperation between the central government and the future wellbeing services counties. This will be done during the negotiations designed to provide the counties with guidance and direction. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will hold the negotiations with the counties between 27 October and 4 December.

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.

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

Steering of wellbeing services counties The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general guidance, direction, planning and development of healthcare and social welfare in Finland. The Ministry of the Interior, in turn, is r...

Every wellbeing services county belongs to one collaborative area. There are a total of five collaborative areas, each with one university hospital.

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...

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...

Municipalities are responsible for promoting health and wellbeing.

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...

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...

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...

Frequently asked questions concerning child welfare in Finland In Finland, child welfare services are based on the Child Welfare Act (417/2007) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Finnish Treaty Series 59–60/1991). The Child Welfare ...

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.

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...

20.5.2025 | The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding its 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva on 19–27 May. The Finnish delegation to the Assembly is led by Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen. The Assembly adopted the new WHO Pandemic Agreement on 20 May.

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. 

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.