Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs is responsible for issues concerning social welfare, such as public health, health care and care of older people. The Ministry’s area of responsibility also includes social insurance, which provides financial security to people when they are sick or elderly, or when children are young. Issues concerning 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. It is also responsible for issues concerning sport, youth policy, civil society, faith communities and burial and cremation services.

Responsible ministers

Jakob Forssmed Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health
Acko Ankarberg Johansson Minister for Health Care
Camilla Waltersson Grönvall Minister for Social Services
Anna Tenje Minister for Older People and Social Security

News from Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

  • Rare diseases and cancer care in focus during health care minister’s visit to New York

    • Portrait of Ms Ankarberg Johansson in front of the UN Building.

      During the UN General Assembly, Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson took part in high-level and bilateral meetings with Malta, Rwanda, Estonia and other countries.

      Photo: Joel Apelthun/Government offices

    • Acko Ankarberg Johansson at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

      Ms Ankarberg Johansson visited the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which conducts both patient care and research in the field of cancer.

      Photo: Joel Apelthun/Governtment offices

    Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson took part in the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Among her various activities during the meeting, Ms Ankarberg Johansson took part in a panel discussion on rare diseases, sponsored by Sweden and Spain together with the organisation Rare Diseases International.

  • Government in proactive dialogue with faith communities

    The ministers shake hands with representants from faith communities
    Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed and Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström had a meeting with faith communities. Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government Offices

    In light of the recent developments, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed and Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström invited representatives of faith communities to a discussion to listen to their views and thoughts on recent events.

Combined portraits of Anna Tenje, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, Jakob Forssmed and Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.
The four ministers of the Ministry for Health and Social Affairs have been working within the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) and Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (EYCS). Photo: Johannes Frandsen/Governtment offices

Results of the Swedish Presidency

For the last six months, the Swedish Presidency has worked to make the EU safer, freer and greener. The four ministers of the Ministry for Health and Social Affairs have been working within different Council configuration, such as the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) and Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (EYCS)

Here you can see the results achieved under the Swedish Presidency in the first half of 2023.

Photo of Swedish Minister for Social Service
Photo of Swedish Minister for Social Service. Photo: Swedish Government Offices

High Level Meeting on Protecting Children

The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union brought together EU members states, the European Parliament, EU institutions and other key stakeholders for a high-level meeting to discuss the situation for Ukrainian children in light of Russia´s fullscale invasion.

Ten women and men gathered for a photo session
A few of the health ministers gathered. Swedish Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson in the center. Photo: Sofia Ireståhl/The Government Offices of Sweden

Minister for Health Care raised important health care issues for the EU at World Health Assembly

The theme of this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was the World Health Organization (WHO) at 75 and the work it does. Representing the EU and its Member States, Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson took part on the first two days (21–22 May).

Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister  Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister for Social Services  Gunnar Strömmer, Minister for Justice
Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister for Social Services Gunnar Strömmer, Minister for Justice Photo: Ninni Andersson/Government Offices

Government taking strong action against disinformation and rumour-spreading campaign

Since December 2021, disinformation has been spread concerning Swedish social services taking Muslim children into care without a legal basis. According to the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, there are no indications that the campaign will cease in the near future. Social services employees are being threatened and, in the worst case scenario, this risks leading to children in Sweden not receiving the social support to which they are entitled. The Government is now taking several measures to counteract the disinformation that is being disseminated.

Content from the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

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