Organisation of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

Updated

The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs employs around 240 people, around 20 of whom are politically appointed.

Political leadership

The Ministry has four ministers with various areas of responsibility.

Jakob Forssmed is Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health and head 
of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Acko Ankarberg Johansson 
is Minister for Health Care, Camilla Waltersson Grönvall is Minister for 
Social Services, and Anna Tenje is Minister for Older People and Social 
Security.

The political leadership includes state secretaries in addition to the 
ministers. The state secretaries are responsible for various policy areas 
directly under the ministers and support them in initiating, planning,  coordinating and monitoring the Ministry’s activities.

The ministers and state secretaries have a staff of political advisers who 
support them in policy work, providing background material, political assessments, planning and media contacts.

Non-political appointees

The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs has a Director General for 
Administrative Affairs, a Director General for Legal Affairs and a Head 
of Administration who, like the state secretaries, assist the ministers in 
managing, planning and coordinating activities. The Director General for Administrative Affairs ensures that the Ministry’s matters are dealt with lawfully, consistently and uniformly. The Director General for Administrative Affairs also monitors the governance of the agencies under the Ministry. The 
Director General for Legal Affairs is responsible for ensuring that proposals for laws and other statutes are drafted, and ensures that the Ministry’s legislative matters are prepared lawfully, consistently and uniformly.

Policy divisions

The Ministry has four policy divisions responsible for ensuring that the Government’s policies in the areas of the Ministry of Social Affairs are translated into various initiatives. 

  • Division for Health and Civil Society
  • Division for Health Care and Pharmaceuticals
  • Division for Social Services and Disability Policy
  • Social Insurance Division

Divisions for support and coordination

In addition, there are some divisions that are responsible for, coordinate 
and support on interdivisional issues such as legal issues, EU and international affairs, the central government budget, agency governance and operational management, analysis and research issues, and administrative data. The Office for Administrative Affairs at the Government Offices supports the Ministry on issues of staff (HR) and communications