Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

The Government today appointed 31 state secretaries at the Government Offices. Former state secretaries have been dismissed from their positions. Most of the state secretaries have previously held corresponding positions at the Government Offices.

The 2030 Agenda offers us a new opportunity to influence and help improve the health situation for people in Sweden and globally. By acting globally, we create conditions for positive developments in our own country while also contributing to, and taking responsibility for, positive developments in the world at large. The document Sweden’s work on global health seeks to bring together and consolidate existing strategies, priorities and policies with the aim of setting out a clear and common agenda and creating the conditions for more effective communications, increased collaboration and, ultimately, more impactful Swedish action.

In June 2018, the Government adopted a national action plan to combat female genital mutilation.The aim of the action plan is to prevent and combat female genital mutilation and improve victim support, to achieve the Government’s goals for gender equality policy, child rights policy and youth policy, as well as the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

In this film, Minister for the Elderly Lena Hallengren talks about investments in care for older people for 2015–2018. For example, the Government has invested SEK 7 billion to increase staffing levels in care for older people, it will be easier to receive home-help services, a dementia strategy has been adopted and investment support for housing for older people is now available.

In this film, Minister for Health and Social Affairs Annika Strandhäll talks about health care investments made between 2015 and 2018. The Government has made investments in cancer care, mental health services, women’s health, health care accessibility and quality, and other areas.

Rescue services, government agencies and local authorities are engaged in intensive efforts in response to the forest fires raging around the country, the widespread drought and the ongoing heat wave. More information about these efforts is available below. Crisis preparedness is part of the remit of every government agency and authority.

The prolonged heat and drought have impacted many sectors of society. There have been numerous forest fires, the agricultural sector has been severely affected by the drought and groundwater levels have dropped. The extreme temperatures can also cause health problems, especially among older people and the sick. The Government is following developments closely and taking the necessary decisions. The Government Offices is in continuous contact with the responsible government agencies.

Sweden is experiencing unusually high temperatures this summer. Heatwaves can cause problems for people's health. Exposure to heat carries with it different risks for different individuals.

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.