Mental health and mental health care

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.

On 21–27 September, the 80th session of the UN General Assembly is being commemorated in New York. In conjunction with the session, a high-level debate and several high-level meetings will convene. His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen will participate during the high-level week. The Government will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed.

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.

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.

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.

On 1 December, Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson and Minister for Health and Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed will co-host a conference to discuss Sweden’s support to Ukraine’s health and medical care system. The conference, which will convene both public and private sector actors, aims especially to outline how Ukraine’s health care system can be rebuilt, strengthened and modernised.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a new global Commission on Social Connection. The aim of the Commission is to spotlight the public health problem of loneliness and involuntary isolation and make it a priority. Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed has been included among the twelve Commissioners – the only one from Europe.

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.

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.

Speech delivered by Jakob Forssmed at the seminar Convergence on Global Health - Joint action with reference to the new EU Global Health Strategy at Karolinska Institutet, on 9 February 2023. Check against delivery.

The Swedish Health and Medical Care Act shall make it clear that the primary care of regions and municipalities specifically provides health and medical care services for common physical and mental health care needs. This is proposed by the inquiry Coordinated development for good and close care in its sub-report Good quality, local health care. The right support for mental health.