Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

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.

On 18–26 September, several high-level meetings will be held in connection with the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN Headquarters in New York. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell and Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson will attend.

This compilation contains a selection of acts and ordinances – both new and amended – that enter into force around the second half of 2023.

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.

Sweden has a long and proud history of promoting a good environment for children to grow up in, based on the best interests of the child. Every child and young person has the right to a safe, secure and bright future, to be properly cared for and to grow up in a home free from violence.

How many people work at the Government Offices? What was the central government budget like last year? How many acts and ordinances were issued last year? The answer to these and other questions can be found in the Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2022.

On 26–27 June, Europe’s key stakeholders in the life sciences sector will gather to highlight the importance of research and innovation in personalised medicine. The conference, organised within the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, will be live-streamed.

On Tuesday 13 June, the task force for Jewish Life in Sweden held its first meeting. Discussions focused on what the situation looks like today and how living a Jewish life in Sweden can be made easier. More than 30 participants gathered to collaborate and engage in dialogue.

On Tuesday 13 June, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed will chair the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Luxembourg.

Support to Ukraine is the most important priority during the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. On 1–2 June, the Swedish Presidency held a high-level meeting on protecting children to highlight how Ukrainian children have been affected by Russia’s aggression, and to discuss what EU Member States can do to respond to their needs. A very large number of Member States signed a declaration at the meeting.

Over seven million people in Ukraine have been forced to leave their homes and seek temporary protection from Russia’s aggression, both within Ukraine and in other European countries. The overwhelming majority are women and children. Children are often among the most vulnerable in war and conflict. Sweden and Ukraine have now entered into a cooperation agreement to continue supporting and protecting children.

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).

Sweden and the majority of World Health Organization (WHO) Member States in the WHO European Region have decided to relocate the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases from Moscow to Copenhagen. The decision was taken in support of Ukraine and enables the WHO to continue its work fighting noncommunicable diseases in Europe.

This year’s theme for the task force for Jewish life in Sweden is safety and security. The task force was presented on 26 January and its work will continue throughout the electoral period. The three civil society organisations invited to participate in the task force have now agreed to take part, and the first meeting will be held June.

On Thursday 20 April, Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall visited the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where she met President Zelenskyy’s wife, Olena Zelenska, and representatives of the Ukrainian Government. At the meeting, they discussed how children have been affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On 3–4 May, the EU social affairs and labour market ministers will gather in Stockholm for an informal meeting hosted by Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson and Minister for Older People and Social Security Anna Tenje. Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg will also take part.

The Swedish Government has decided to appoint a collaborative working group on the conditions for the Jewish minority. The aim is to vigorously combat antisemitism and to strengthen the conditions for Jewish life in Sweden.

Speech delivered by Jakob Forssmed at the 66th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, on 13 March 2023. Check against delivery.

In response to requests – mainly from Türkiye and Syria – for support to foreign disaster-affected or war-torn areas, the Government has tasked the National Board of Health and Welfare with assessing the possibilities of providing assistance. The agency should examine what medical equipment or materials, or other supplies, may be needed to provide care, and can be donated from available stock or Sweden’s regions after all domestic needs have been met. The Government is allocating SEK 45 million for this purpose.

The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs has four ministers with responsibility for issues concerning social welfare, including public health, health care, social insurance, care of older people, social services, civil society and sport. Responsibilities are divided among the ministers as follows.