Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs is responsible for issues concerning social welfare. This means promoting people’s health and ensuring that sick people receive the care they need. The Ministry’s area of responsibility includes insurance schemes that give people financial security when they are sick or elderly, or when their children are young. Issues such as individual and family care, support for people with disabilities and care of the elderly are also included. The Ministry also works on rights for people with disabilities and on issues related to the premium pension system.
Responsible ministers
News from Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
Decisions and guidelines in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs’ policy areas to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus
Director-General of the Public Health Agency of Sweden Johan Carlson and Minister for Health and Social Affairs Lena Hallengren at a press conference on 1 April. Ms Hallengren urges everyone to take personal responsibility: “Keep your distance, refrain from non-essential travel in Sweden and do not visit older people. There is nothing more important than people’s lives and health.” Photo: Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden The Government continues to maintain a close dialogue with relevant expert government agencies on effective measures to counter the spread of the coronavirus, which can cause COVID-19. Read more below about the most recent recommendations and decisions in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs’ policy areas of public health, medical care, social care and social insurance.
Work in the areas of public health, medical care, social care and social insurance with regard to the COVID-19 virus
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At a press conference about COVID-19 virus, March 13. Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Ibrahim Baylan, Minister for Health and Social Affairs, Lena Hallengren, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Minister for Higher Education and Research Matilda Ernkrans.
Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden
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Lena Hallengren, Minister for Health and Social Affairs.
Photo: Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden
There is now an ongoing outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The Swedish Government is following developments carefully and is in continuous contact with the responsible authorities. Below is a selection of the Government’s decisions and initiatives that have been taken so far in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs’ areas.
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Reforms to increase welfare and security – Budget Bill for 2020
In the Budget Bill for 2020, the Government presents a range of proposals to increase security and welfare in Sweden. Here you can learn more about the proposals related to the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.
Content from the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
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Speech by Lena Hallengren at ICMEO– International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities in Stockholm
Stockholm 15 May 2018. Check against delivery.
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Press invitation: International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities
Media representatives are invited to the International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities (ICMEO) in Stockholm, Sweden, on 15–16 May.
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Fact sheet: Action plan to combat prostitution and trafficking in human beings
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.
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Nordic gender equality ministers acted jointly at the UN Commission on the Status of Women session
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.
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Speech by State Secretary Pernilla Baralt at Commission on the Status of Women 2018
The General Assembly of the United Nations, New York, 14 mars 2018 Check against delivery.
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Lena Hallengren new Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality
Lena Hallengren was today appointed as new Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality.
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Åsa Regnér appointed as Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women
UN Secretary-General António Guterres today appointed Åsa Regnér as Deputy Executive Director of UN Women with responsibility for intergovernmental relations and strategic partnerships, as well as Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations.
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New solutions in focus at the End Violence Against Children Solutions Summit
As one of the currently 15 pathfinding countries, Sweden, was the first to host the 2030 Agenda for Children: End Violence Against Children Solutions Summit in cooperation with the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children and the WePROTECT Global Alliance on 14-15 February. During the Summit, both Japan and The United Arab Emirates made a commitment to become pathfinding countries, with Brazil expressing interest too. In addition, Japan announced that the country donated 6 million US Dollars to the Fund to End Violence Against Children.
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Prime Minister Stefan Löfven to open an international high-level conference on violence against children
The Swedish Government is hosting the high-level conference Agenda 2030 for Children, End Violence Solutions Summit in Stockholm on 14–15 February 2018. The participants include Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, HM Queen Silvia and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed. The co-organisers of the conference are the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children and WePROTECT Global Alliance.
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The Pension Group’s agreement on long-term raised and secure pensions
Sweden has a fundamentally sound pension system, whose unique design attracted much international attention when it was adopted in the 1990s. Several countries, inspired by the Swedish pension system, have now reformed their own. The fact that the pension system is outside the government budget and pays out exactly as much in pensions as money is available for makes the pension system financially sustainable, which means that there is no risk of rolling over debt to future generations. This, combined with political stability — a large majority of Riksdag members backed the system — paves the way for secure pensions.
