Funding
Health promotion requires the ability to see far and set concrete goals. For example, investments in children's and families' wellbeing bear fruit far into the future. Promotional work and prevention of problems are more worthwhile and cost-effective than fixing problems afterwards.
Financing the promotion of health and wellbeing in municipalities
In municipal finances, the cost-effectiveness of health promotion is quite often seen only after years or decades have elapsed. It is advisable to use cost information as a part of the planning in health promotion. When making cost assessments, it is important to remember compassionate viewpoints. Health promotion is always an ethical choice.
When the promotion of health and wellbeing is included in the municipality's strategy, they appear in the municipality's operational and financial plans. The funding is collected through municipal taxes. Municipalities decide independently on their budgets.
Health and wellbeing promotion funding is linked to taxation
There are various kinds of national grants and appropriations for projects and studies that promote health.
- The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare administers the appropriations for the promotion of health.
- The funding of health promotion grants is connected to tobacco and alcohol taxation.
- The appropriations include annual grants for experimental and development projects, research projects and programmes for the promotion of health.
Grants for projects to promote health are also made by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organizations (STEA). Research is funded by The Academy of Finland.
The Ministry of Education and Culture finances physical activity and performance sports using national lottery and betting proceeds and budget appropriations. State sport financing consists almost entirely of government grants disbursed from national lottery and betting proceeds.
State grants for promotion of health and wellbeing
The Government of Finland offers grants for health promotion projects annually. The state budget allocates an appropriation for health promotion and for the prevention and reduction of substance abuse and smoking.
Projects can focus on
- preventing alcohol and drug abuse
- healthy nutrition
- physical exercise
- mental health
- sexual health
- injury prevention and
- developing structures of health promotion in municipalities and regions.
Both developmental and research projects are eligible. Projects should develop health promotion structures, quality, cooperation and methods and target narrowing health inequalities. Projects can go on for 1–3 years. The grant is based on a law (333/2009) and commandment (535/2009). The total amount for grants was 2 000 000 euros in 2020. The average grant is 200 000 - 300 000 euros per project.
Funding for Non-Governmental Organizations
Operating in connection with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA) is the most significant funding operator for organisational operations within social and health services in Finland. Every year, STEA processes some 2,500 funding applications, and prepares a funding proposal to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Approximately 1,600‑1,700 targets, organised by 800 organisations, are awarded funding every year. STEA-funded operations can be found everywhere in Finland.
Future funding
The Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance need to collaborate more closely to build shared understanding of how to produce reliable evidence on the economic benefits of health promotion and of the interaction between health, wellbeing and economics.
