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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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

3.5.2023 | An informal meeting of EU employment and social affairs ministers will take place in Stockholm on 3–4 May 2023 and an informal meeting of EU health ministers on 4–5 May 2023. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen and Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru will represent Finland at the meetings.

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.  

4.6.2026 | The Government is proposing a new type of integration assistance. The general social security benefit would be paid as integration assistance to immigrants registered as unemployed jobseekers who do not meet the prior work requirement or have lived in Finland for less than three years.

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

Services and support for people with disabilities Persons with disabilities have the right to equality, inclusion, self-determination, independent living, non-discrimination and the necessary individual services and support. The principle is that ...

2.6.2023 | FINLANDS FÖRFATTNINGSSAMLINGS FÖRDRAGSSERIE Utgiven i Helsingfors den 31 maj 2016 (Finlands författningssamlings nr 398/2016) Statsrådets förordning 27/2016 om sättande i kraft av konventionen om rättigheter för personer med funktionsnedsätt- ning...

Hospitals and specialised medical care Specialized medical services, including various specialist examinations and treatments, are primarily provided in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and emergency departments. Access to specialised healthcare is ...

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...

6.8.2026 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes EUR 15.0 billion in appropriations for its Ministry and branch of government in 2027. This is about EUR 128 million more than in the 2026 Budget.

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...

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...

International cooperation on gender equality European Union Gender equality is promoted in the EU using legislation and gender equality policies. The promotion of equality between men and women and the elimination of discrimination are among the E...

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. ...

Electronic services support the pharmacotherapy Medication list as a tool for healthcare professionals A national up-to-date medication list is under preparation. Its benefits will be based on a procedure where all essential structural medication ...

Mental health services The aim of mental health work is to strengthen people's good mental health and to reduce factors that undermine it. This work includes activities to promote mental health and prevent mental health disorders, as well as menta...

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...

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 ...

Legislation concerning children, young people and families Family leaves Family leaves are regulated in the Employment Contracts Act. The Act contains provisions on the rights of parents to take leave for family reasons. Employment Contracts Act 5...

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...

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 ...

For the media Media contacts Annette Rinne, Head of Communications, tel. +358 295 161 169 Ministerial Communications Team: Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Please direct all media inquiries to the Communications Unit’s email at [email protect...

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...

Personalised medicine Personalised medicine (or precision medicine) promotes the health and wellbeing of individuals by utilising research and new technologies and by widening the range of information resources. The aim is to prevent diseases and ...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

“You rarely get such a close view of how decisions are communicated” Neea Hassinen worked as a communications intern at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, where she developed online communications and contributed to current affairs communi...

Healthcare and social welfare for illegal residents Illegal residents mean persons who have no right of residence in Finland according to the Aliens Act. An asylum seeker’s residence in Finland is considered unauthorised when a decision to reject ...

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...