Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

On 24 May, the Government adopted a national strategy for dementia care. Sweden’s population is living longer. Life expectancy has risen almost continuously for the past 250 years, and is currently more than 84 years for women and close to 81 years for men. The risk of developing dementia rises with increasing age. This national strategy will enable the Government in the coming years to adopt a more comprehensive approach to dementia care. The Government wants to secure improved quality of care and increased safety and security for people with dementia and their families.

On 13 June, the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament) adopted a bill on making the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Swedish law. In order for the convention to have a greater impact, the Government is also proposing a guidance document, an education initiative and continued systematic transformation work.

On 15–16 May, Sweden and Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality Lena Hallengren hosted the 4th International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities (ICMEO) in Stockholm. Among the 300 participants were several European gender equality ministers, researchers and representatives of government agencies and civil society. The role and responsibility of men and boys in gender equality efforts was in focus, as well as how we change social norms that have negative effects.

In mid-April 2018, the Government presented the Bill entitled ‘Good and equitable public health – an advanced public health policy’ to the Riksdag. The overarching objective of public health policy will be reworded, with a clearer focus on equitable health throughout the population, and the goal of reducing avoidable health inequalities within a generation.

Stockholm 15 May 2018. Check against delivery.

Media representatives are invited to the International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities (ICMEO) in Stockholm, Sweden, on 15–16 May.

The action plan to combat prostitution and trafficking in human beings can be seen as part of broader efforts to prevent and combat men’s violence against women.

On 12–24 March, the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This year’s theme was ‘Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls’. The Swedish Government was represented by Pernilla Baralt, former Sweden’s State Secretary for Gender Equality and Deputy Chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality. With three Nordic gender equality ministers, Ms Baralt co-hosted a Nordic ministerial panel on the bodily integrity of women and women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Sweden and France also hosted a side event on women’s representation in politics.

The General Assembly of the United Nations, New York, 14 mars 2018 Check against delivery.