In 2010-2011 Finland was chairing the Joint Working Group on Health and related Social Issues (JWGHS) of the Barents Euro-arctic Council together with the Komi Republic. The working group derived its mandate from a cooperation programme in force until the end of 2011.

The priority areas of the cooperation programme included

• the stemming of the possible spread of communicable diseases
  
• prevention of lifestyle-related social and health problems
  
• support to children and youth at risk
• development of primary care and public health care as well as social services.

Finland continued the implementation of three sub-programmes especially.

1. The Co-operation Programme on Tuberculosis is based on a declaration by Prime Ministers in 2003 in which the authorities in the Barents region are urged to take control of tuberculosis in their regions by 2013. Two planning meetings have taken place in 2010, and practical measures are continued in close cooperation with the Northern Dimension Expert Groups.
2. The Sub-programme on HIV/AIDS was launched in 2005 and it aims at intensifying the fight against AIDS and reinforcing the AIDS Centres in the region. One of the actions which is continued in 2010-2011 is the developing of low-threshold services for drug users in the Barents region. The sub-programme is financed by Finland.
3. The Sub-programme on Children and Youth at Risk (2008-2012) has among its goals to improve the know-how of local authorities and the cooperation between agencies in order for enabling them to help children and young people at risk as early as possible. The sub-programme is financed by Norway, and its themes range from foster families to, for example, the rehabilitation of underage offenders.

The working group usually meets twice a year. The meetings discuss topical progress reports by the regions and by the actors carrying out joint projects. They also decide on the key strategies for the above sub-programmes.