Public health

Sweden’s support to Ukraine makes a difference. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has approved increased funding for the National Board of Health and Welfare’s programme for expanded support to Ukraine for health and medical care, care of older people and children.

This strategy has a ten-year perspective to enable various actors to work long term on issues that can help realise the vision: “A society in which access to treatment with antimicrobials is maintained through cross-sectoral and sector-specific initiatives to prevent infection and limit the development, spread and consequences of resistant microorganisms.”

The Government has adopted a new 10-year strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The strategy will guide and reinforce Sweden’s work in this area and contribute to global goals of reducing mortality.

Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed visited New York to take part in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Mr Forssmed delivered Sweden’s national address at the High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health. He also participated in a number of side events linked to promotion of mental health and well-being.

(New version) Security in Sweden’s neighbourhood has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. The Government is therefore carrying out the most sweeping modernisation of Sweden’s total defence since the end of the Cold War. In the Budget Bill for 2026, the Tidö Parties propose a new package for stronger civil defence. Funding will go towards better stockpiling of health care products, renovating Sweden’s protective shelters, building up new food contingency reserves and improving preparedness efforts of Sweden’s municipalities and regions. The Government proposes allocating SEK 3 billion to civil defence in 2026, SEK 4.2 billion in 2027 and SEK 4.6 billion in 2028. These proposals total approximately SEK 12 billion in 2026–2028.

Sweden’s national life sciences strategy serves as a long-range framework, and the strategy’s eight priority areas remain the starting point for this update of the previous strategy from 2019.

Opinion piece by Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed, Altinget, 4 February 2025

Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed has been appointed Vice-Chair of the Global Leaders Group (GLG) on Antimicrobial Resistance, a UN body made up of politicians and experts.

The Government has decided to invest SEK 4.3 billion in global health and increased sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Sida has been tasked with implementing a five-year strategy for Sweden’s development cooperation in the area of health and sexual and reproductive health and rights from 2025 to 2029.

Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson and Ukrainian Minister of Health Viktor Liashko have signed a technical agreement between Sweden and Ukraine. The aim is to intensify cooperation and advance Ukraine’s process of integration into the EU. Ms Ankarberg Johansson also visited several care facilities in Kyiv, including the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital that Russia attacked in July.

On 24–26 September, Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson attended the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. She also represented Sweden in a High-level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance and a panel on cervical cancer.

On 26 September, a High-level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was held during the United Nations General Assembly. The Meeting is the second of its type, with the first having been held in 2016. The meeting included the ceremonial adoption of a political declaration on global and national undertakings in efforts to counter AMR. Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson headed Sweden’s participation in the Meeting.

National Statement at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) delivered by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard on behalf of Sweden. New York, September 2024. Check against delivery.

The Government’s new reform agenda, ‘Development assistance for a new era – freedom, empowerment and sustainable growth’, has a particular focus on improved health for the most vulnerable people. Initiatives are needed to improve prospects of good health, ensure functioning health and medical care systems, and strengthen preparedness, in order to better address health threats at global level. Sweden has an important role to play in these efforts.

Screen time’s impact on the health of children and young people was on the agenda when ministers from across the Nordic region met in Stockholm on 17 April. Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed hosted the meeting, which was under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers also discussed how Nordic cooperation against antimicrobial resistance can be strengthened.

Sweden and the US have entered into a bilateral cooperation agreement on cancer research and care. The agreement builds on the cooperation agreement that the two countries concluded in 2016 with the aim of accelerating research results through increased exchange.

One of Malin Grape's main tasks is to promote the visibility of the government's priority issues in the field of antimicrobial resistance in the international arena and to contribute to a strengthened global dialogue. As Swedish Ambassador for work against AMR, she highlighted this issue at several key forums in 2023, including during the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and at the World Health Assembly (WHA).

Opinion piece, Euractiv, 1 February 2024, by Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission, Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, European Commission, Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Sweden, Jakob Forssmed, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Sweden, Caroline Gennez, Minister of Development Cooperation and of Major Cities, Belgium and Frank Vandenbroucke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health, Belgium.

The will to support Ukraine is strong among Swedish health and medical care actors from both the public and private sectors. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and Swecare held a Conference on Support to the Recovery and Development of Health Care in Ukraine on 1 December to harness this engagement and discuss how Swedish support can be put to best use.

The Swedish Government has adopted an updated strategy to combat antibiotic resistance (AMR). The overarching goal continues to be preserving the possibility of effective treatment of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The strategy will apply until the end of 2025.