Public health
Public health refers to the general health situation of the entire population, or parts of it, and the development of good health and its distribution among the population.
Objective of public health policy
The national public health objective is to create social conditions to ensure good health, on equal terms, for the entire population. The objective was adopted by the Riksdag in April 2003 (Government Bill 2002/03:35 - Public health objectives).
Direction of policy
The aim of public health policy is to create the conditions for good health throughout the entire population. The Government considers that the public sector can and should help create good conditions for people's health in a variety of ways, but that this should be done so that the individual is encouraged to take responsibility for his or her own health. Use should be made of civil society's expertise and involvement in public health efforts.
Providing the conditions for good physical and mental health is particularly important for children and young people. Secure and favourable childhood conditions lay the foundation for good health among children and young people and contribute to lifelong good health. Since parents are the most important persons to a child's development, it is essential that they are offered the support they need to be the best parents they possibly can.
The choice of lifestyle is of major importance to health. Good or harmful lifestyle patterns often reinforce one another. That is why it is important to have a public health policy that is based on the way different lifestyle patterns are composed. Accordingly, the policy should not focus on one risk factor at a time, but instead should be based on how the risks work together.
Public health policy is important to the Government's overall goal of creating the conditions for more jobs and thereby preventing people from being excluded from the labour market. Work for good public health helps reduce exclusion. Good health reduces the risk of facing unemployment and the resultant exclusion.
The scope of the policy
The public health policy area comprises work aimed at promoting health and preventing disease. It has special responsibility for action to create good conditions for healthy lifestyles among the population. Initiatives within the public health policy area include programmes targeted at preventing the harmful effects of alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse, doping and gambling addiction and at promoting physical activity, healthy eating habits and sexual and reproductive health. The policy area also includes communicable disease control and health protection.
Agencies and other bodies
The National Institute of Public Health , The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, the Alcohol and Pharmaceuticals Product Range Board and the state-owned Systembolaget (the Swedish Alcohol Retail Monopoly) are working within this policy area.
