Lifestyles and living environment

MSAH work on health promotion involves exercise, nutrition and measures to reduce smoking and substance use. The ministry promotes healthy lifestyles and living environments that are clean, healthy and barrier-free.

Recommendations for the promotion of physical activity in Finland (Brochures 2010:3)

The National Institute for Health and Welfare coordinates the Finnish Design for All network, which aims to create barrier-free environments, service availability and easy-to-use products.

Accident injury prevention is also a central concern of public health work. The prevention of accidents in the home and in recreation is included in the government's strategic safety promotion policy. The goal is that by 2015 Finland will ne the safest country in Europe, up from its present ranking of 20 ^th.

Infectious disease prevention

Finland has achieved good progress in health promotion and in the prevention of infectious and non-communicable diseases. The national vaccination programme and high standards of hygiene have succeeded in preventing many infectious diseases and epidemics, especially among children.

Reducing health inequalities

A prime aim of the MSAH is to narrow the appreciable health inequalities between different sections of the population in different parts of Finland. The MSAH Action Plan to Reduce Health Inequalities 2008-2011 outlines proposals for strategic policy definitions and the most important measures to reduce socioeconomic health inequalities in Finland.

The budget and health promotion

The Finnish government sets a targeted appropriation for measures aimed at health promotion. The MSAH is responsible for the use of the appropriation.