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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...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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 ...

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.

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.

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 ...

Regeringens proposition till riksdagen med förslag till lagstiftning om principerna för tjänsteutbudet inom social- och hälsovården PROPOSITIONENS HUVUDSAKLIGA INNEHÅLL I denna proposition föreslås det att hälso- och sjukvårdslagen, socialvårdslag...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

Regeringens proposition till riksdagen med förslag till lag om ändring av hälso- och sjukvårdslagen och till lagar som har samband med den PROPOSITIONENS HUVUDSAKLIGA INNEHÅLL I denna proposition föreslås det att hälso- och sjukvårdslagen ändras t...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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 ...

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...

fi sv en Biobank activities will be harmonised Biobanks are part of the research infrastructure. In biobanks, samples of human origin and related data are stored for supporting research. Biobanks operate in Finland in connection with hospital dist...

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...

Communications Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health The Communications Unit is in charge of the internal and external information and communications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the related work with stakeholders. ...

“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...