Press releases and news

The 2026 Public Health Award has been granted to Children of the Station and the Cancer Society of Finland in recognition of their significant and long-term efforts to promote the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Vaccination coverage among young children has long been excellent in Finland. According to new statistics from THL, coverage rates remain high, but the proportion of completely unvaccinated children has increased.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is launching a study which is unique in scope on a global level and involves tracking the entire age group born in Finland between 2026 and 2029, together with their families. The Future Finland study begins in March in the Uusimaa region and will later be expanded nationwide. The study is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

There will be service interruptions in the external online services of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Wednesday 25 March. There will be interruptions between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Spending time in nature and engaging in outdoor activities are associated with better mental wellbeing among young people, according to the results of the School Health Promotion Study. Mental wellbeing was highest among adolescents who spent time in nature on a daily basis.

A record number of cases of pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria were detected in Finland last year. The increase was mainly due to a rise in soil related infections.

THL will renew its entire thl.fi online service in spring 2026. All content on the site will be updated to better meet customers’ information needs and the organisation’s strategic objectives. At the same time, the current website will be discontinued. The exact publication date will be announced later.

The new Health from Nature programme aims to improve health and well being by strengthening people’s exposure to nature in everyday life and across different sectors of society. The programme is based on extensive research evidence on the health benefits of natural environments.

The health status of people in Finland is in many respects better than the EU average, and the service system is fairly comprehensive. However, a recent country report by the OECD and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies indicates that access to care is not realised equally in Finland. In 2024, 12.4% of those who required medical care reported that they had not received the services they needed. The share is the second highest in the EU.

The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) has selected THL’s research group to implement two projects related to preparedness and risk communication. The projects were launched in the beginning of 2026 and will run for one year.

THL is ready to take responsibility for implementing a new national data and permit function focusing on the utilisation of health data. The report published today by Sitra proposes that a national health data space be established in Finland. This would bring together health data infrastructure, licensing and research, development, and innovation activities. This is based on the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence for the utilisation of data.

In 2025, the number of clients using shelters for victims of domestic violence increased compared to the previous year. A total of 5,979 clients used shelter services, which is about 180 more than in 2024. The information comes from the preliminary data for 2025 published by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). 

The national recommendations for children on the use of digital devices were specified after their circulation for comments in the autumn. The completed recommendations include a tightening of the recommended age limit for getting a smartphone, which is now 13 years.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Finnish National Agency for Education are launching work at the national level to strengthen parenthood. The Strength from Parenthood project brings parents’ point of view to the development of services and determines shared national principles for supporting parenthood.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has made funding decisions for shelters for the year 2026. In its 2026 budget, Parliament decided to increase funding for shelters. With the increased funding, it will be possible to secure the current shelter places and add new places in several regions. The total number of places will increase by 15. After these additions, Finland will have a total of 243 shelter places.