The MSAH has a general responsibility for guiding and overseeing health promotion in Finland.
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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. 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
Review of national Finnish health
promotion policies, published by the WHO European Office
Social
and Health Report 2006 (MSAH's publications 2006:4)
The Government Resolution on the Health 2015 programme outlines the targets for Finland's national health policy for the next fifteen years.
