About the National Board of Health and Welfare

The National Board of Health and Welfare is a government agency under the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, with a very wide range of activities and many different duties within the fields of social services, health and medical services, patient safety and epidemiology.

The majority of our activities focus on staff, managers and decision makers in the abovementioned areas. We give support and exert influence in many different ways:

• We collect, compile, analyse and pass on information.
• We develop standards based on legislation and the information collected.
• We also undertake other official duties such as maintaining health data registers and official statistics.

For us, it is particularly important to ensure that people’s need for health and social care is met throughout their lives. We want health and medical services and social services to work together, taking into account the total needs, circumstances and wishes of the individual. Where resources are limited they should be used for those who need them most.