Finnish National Infectious Diseases Register
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare maintains a national infectious diseases register based on the Communicable Diseases Act and Decree. Data are collected to the register using communicable disease notifications filed by doctors and laboratories.
The register data are used in
- the prevention of infectious diseases
- the work to combat infectious diseases
- research.
The public statistical database of the National Infectious Diseases Register provides access to statistical data by hospital district, age group and gender, on an annual and monthly basis. In addition to the number of cases, the register provides information about incidence, or the number of cases relative to 100,000 residents.
Data in the register may also be disclosed for research purposes in return for a research permit.
Approximately 100,000 cases of infectious diseases are reported to the National Infectious Diseases Register each year. Data have been collected since 1995.
Reports to the National Infectious Diseases Register are made by doctors and laboratories
Doctors and dentists must file a communicable disease notification for some of the cases of generally hazardous or monitored communicable diseases listed in the Communicable Diseases Decree. There are around 40 of such diseases.
Communicable Diseases Decree (Finlex)
A more detailed list of the diseases and microbes subject to notification is available on the webpage in Finnish:
Communicable diseases and microbes subject to notification
Microbiology laboratories file a notification of the microbes they find to the National Infectious Diseases Register. The laboratories must submit a notification of findings of around 70 specific pathogens and all findings in blood or cerebrospinal fluid.
Notifications of the findings are filed online using a communicable disease notification or submitted directly from the laboratory’s electronic information system.
THL’s specialist laboratories examine and monitor samples
The prevalence of infectious diseases and microbial properties must be monitored to identify and combat the threats they pose to human health in time.
The specialist laboratories of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare examine and monitor the serotype distribution and drug susceptibility of bacteria and viruses that cause infectious diseases in humans in a centralised manner. The microbes subject to continuous monitoring are generally hazardous or cause communicable diseases subject to monitoring.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare also examines in more detail certain other microbes causing infectious diseases that require monitoring due to the disease burden or risk of epidemics these cause.
The research and monitoring activities are based on the Communicable Diseases Act and Decree.
Communicable Diseases Act (Finlex)
Statistical database of the National Infectious Diseases Register
Detailed statistics on the numbers and incidence of infectious diseases are available in the online service of the National Infectious Diseases Register.
When examining the figures, it should be kept in mind that they are also influenced by the share of patients who seek health care and the number of microbiological examinations carried out to identify the cause. The rates are also affected by changes in diagnostic practice and methods.
The incidence presented in the statistics refers to the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Statistical database of the National Infectious Diseases Register (in Finnish and Swedish)
Scientific research
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare may disclose data from the National Infectious Diseases Register for research purposes.
Using the data of the National Infectious Diseases Register always requires a research permit. Before applying for a permit, you should familiarise yourself with the register content by viewing the list of microbes and the publicly available statistics of the National Infectious Diseases a Register.
A favourable statement from the controller must be attached to the permit application.
Information about applying for a research permit (in Finnish)
