Goals for influencing
At THL, we want to contribute to the sustainability, preparedness and resilience of society and citizens.
On this page, we introduce our goals and the societal measures we propose for implementing these goals.
Our goals
- to make planetary health and wellbeing, in other words, the acknowledgment of the interdependence between humans and other forms of nature , central to all activities
- to prevent the harmful effects of alcohol, drugs, and addictions
- to support the mental wellbeing of young people
- to strengthen comprehensive security.
Planetary health and wellbeing
Planetary health and wellbeing recognises that healthy ecosystems underlie all wellbeing.
There is an inevitable interdependency between the health and wellbeing of people and the rest of nature. Climate change, biodiversity loss and overconsumption of nature's resources affect people's health and wellbeing everywhere.
Correspondingly, we can influence the impact we have on the environment through our lifestyle choices that simultaneously promote human health and wellbeing and that of the natural systems.
THL’s goal is to support a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Planetary health and wellbeing provides the basis for sustainable development, and thus must be made an essential part of decision-making.
The measures we propose
- The coordination of the functions related to planetary health and wellbeing to the Government, management responsibility to the Ministry.
- Taxation measures to support healthy and sustainable choices: sugar tax, fat tax and salt tax.
- Community planning and incentives that support a physically active lifestyle, such as active commuting and physical activity in nature.
- Increasing sustainable and healthy choices in public and private food catering and food production.
- Taking into consideration sustainability and health perspectives in decisions regarding energy.
Alcohol, drugs, and addictions
Our goal is to prevent the harmful effects of alcohol, drugs, and addictions and an increase in the use of different substances.
We want to ensure sufficiently early access to treatment and equitable access to rehabilitation for substance abuse and addictions. It is important to increase the effectiveness of treatment.
Our goal is also to reduce the stigma associated with people suffering from mental health problems and substance abuse.
The measures we propose
- Regulating the availability and price of alcohol by keeping the retail sale monopoly.
- Assessing the effects of decriminalisation of drug use and piloting of drug consumption rooms.
- Ensuring effective implementation of the Substance Abuse and Addiction Strategy and sufficient funding for it.
- Increasing low-threshold services for substance abuse, addictions, and mental health.
Mental well-being of a young person
Our goal is to strengthen the positive mental health of children and young people and reduce welfare inequalities.
We want to strengthen everyday structures that contribute to mental wellbeing and low-threshold services in primary health care. Our goal is also to strengthen the mental health skills and competence of young people and social welfare and health care professionals.
The measures we propose
- Supporting safe daily life of children, young people, and families. Developing and implementing an extension of the Finnish model to prevent segregation and increase inclusion.
- Ensuring sufficient resources for early childhood education and care and schools as well as support services for families (child health clinic, family work, home service).
- Strengthening mental health skills competence in the content of vocational training and continuing education of adults working with children and young people.
- Reducing poverty in families with children. This goal is also included in the social security reform.
- Assessing the mental health impacts of societal decisions before and after making decisions.
Comprehensive security
Our goal is to strengthen the social sustainability and resilience of society and preparedness in the social welfare and health care sector.
We prepare for different health threats, such as pandemics, infectious diseases, and chemical threats, nationally and across the borders.
It is also important to strengthen digital security and the security of supply of information and knowledge.
The measures we propose
- Strengthening internal security by preventing and reducing threats to society (inequality, violence, poverty, alcohol and drugs) and by increasing inclusion.
- Increasing capacity for analysis
- Securing the continuity of pharmaceutical wholesale and complementing its role (RescEU).
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities and ensuring cooperation between different authorities.
- THL to be made a training centre for different health threats.
- Cyber security centre for healthcare and social welfare.
