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

  • Agreement with United States promotes cancer research

    • Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Andrea Palm, and Minister for Health Care, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, signing the agreement.

      Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Andrea Palm, and Minister for Health Care, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, signing the agreement.

      Joel Apelthun/Government Offices of Sweden

    • Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Andrea Palm, and Minister for Health Care, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, signing the agreement.

      Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Andrea Palm, and Minister for Health Care, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, signing the agreement.

      Joel Apelthun/Government Offices of Sweden

    • Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Andrea Palm, and Minister for Health Care, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, signing the agreement.

      Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Andrea Palm, and Minister for Health Care, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, signing the agreement.

      Joel Apelthun/Government Offices of Sweden

    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.

  • A fast-paced year of work against antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

    A portrait of Ms Malin Grape
    Malin Grape, Swedish AMR Ambassador. Photo: Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden

    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).

  • Key health and medical care actors gathered at conference on support to Ukraine

    • Three ministers, surrounded by people and Swedish and Ukrainian flags, hold up signed agreements.

      During the conference, the three ministers – Ukraine’s Minister of Healthcare Viktor Liashko and Sweden’s Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson and Minister for Health and Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed – signed a memorandum ofunderstanding between Sweden and Ukraine.

      Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government offices of Sweden

    • Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine Viktor Liashko gives a speech.

      Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine Viktor Liashko was one of the keynote speakers at the conference on 1 December.

      Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government offices of Sweden

    • A man gives a speech on stage in a packed conference room. The Swedish and Ukrainian flags, and the text ‘Partnership Sweden-Ukraine’, are shown on the screen behind him.

      The Conference on Support to the Recovery and Development of Health Care in Ukraine brought together over 100 representatives of government agencies, the business sector, civil society, hospitals and academia, and European and international actors such as the European Commission, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.

      Photo: Magnus Liljegren/Government offices of Sweden

    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.

  • Government budget initiatives to combat antisemitism and support Jewish life

    Combatting antisemitism is a high priority for the Government. The budget presented on 20 September includes several initiatives to enhance and shore up these continued efforts. This includes funding to the Jewish Museum, the Living History Forum and the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, and state aid for security-heightening measures.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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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