Samfundet Folkhälsan, or in short Folkhälsan (literally "Public Health"), is a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

based in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. It is active in advocating social welfare and health care for the Swedish speakers of Finland. The organization carries out scientific research and informs and counsels in order to promote health and good quality of life. Folkhälsan’s activities include assistance, support, education, and care, being present at every stage of life. Founded in 1921, Folkhälsan employs today approximately 1,400 people. Our local associations across Swedish-speaking Finland have almost 19,000 members. Folkhälsan works towards a society where health and quality of life are central concerns. The organization was founded in 1921 by Ossian Schauman and a number of other doctors who wanted to reduce

child mortality Child mortality is the death of children under the age of five. The child mortality rate (also under-five mortality rate) refers to the probability of dying between birth and exactly five years of age expressed per 1,000 live births. It encompa ...

and cases of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

in Finland. The NGO was combining practical work with research already from the very start. About 100 researchers do research into inheritable diseases and illnesses attributed to

lifestyles Lifestyle is the interests, opinions, behaviours, and behavioural orientations of an individual, group, or culture. The term " style of life" () was introduced by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in his 1929 book, ''The Case of Miss R.'', ...

. A further 1,400 persons work for, and some 19,000 persons pay membership to the organization. Folkhälsan funds its activities by selling its services to the municipalities. Certain municipalities, like the town of

Karis Karis (; ) is a town and former municipality in Finland. On January 1, 2009, it was consolidated with Ekenäs and Pohja to form the new municipality of Raseborg (). It is located in the Finnish province of Southern Finland and is part of U ...

, have allocated its entire health care to Folkhälsan. The NGO has also activities within

child care Child care, also known as day care, is the care and supervision of one or more children, typically ranging from three months to 18 years old. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(ren), childcare typica ...

and the care of the elderly. Further sources of income are private donations and funding from the Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY). Folkhälsan organizes Finland's national

Saint Lucy's Day Saint Lucy's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day observed on 13 December. The observance commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, an early-fourth-century virgin martyr under the Diocletianic Persecution. According to l ...

celebrations in Helsinki.

External links

Folkhälsan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Folkhalsan Medical and health organisations based in Finland 1921 establishments in Finland