Background

The Nordic welfare model is universal and underpinned by the principle of free and equal access for all. All citizens of the Nordic Region must have the opportunity to live good and healthy lives, and they must be able to receive suitable help when the need arises. However, the Nordic Region is facing a series of challenges that require a targeted and ambitious response from the Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs.

Labour shortages, demographic changes and the rise of complex treatment needs require better working methods which utilise resources and competencies in the most efficient way possible. Digital and technological welfare solutions, earlier and more targeted preventative and health-promoting interventions, and solid collaboration across disciplines, specialisations and borders can all facilitate new and better treatments. There is also a need for a common Nordic view on how we can recruit, retain and continuously provide further training to staff in a meaningful way. Greater levels of collaboration with and support for an engaged civil society should also be placed in focus.

We must maintain and develop the Nordic Region as a place that offers equal opportunities and rights to all, and which is characterised by high levels of occupation, a sound economy, high levels of trust and strong welfare and healthcare systems. In order to achieve this, we must continue our work to promote equal opportunities and to stop people from falling behind as a result of socio-economic conditions, limited service offerings in sparsely populated areas or service offerings which may seem complex or inaccessible to individuals seeking help within the health and social care sector. At the same time, we must also work to limit health inequality. Work relating to public health and health promotion must therefore be prioritised and intensified with a view to creating the right conditions for good and equal health in the Nordic Region.

We must work towards achieving a more resilient and sustainable Nordic Region. A Nordic Region which is flexible and prepared for societal and global crises such as those we have encountered in recent years. For example, the climate crisis is also a health crisis and will be one of the challenges faced by the health and social care sector going forward. Our transition to a sustainable, low-emission and climate-adapted health and social care sector must be driven forward. Due to the deteriorating global geopolitical situation, the Nordic countries also need to be prepared for an even greater state of alert. The Nordic Region must have a strong and sustainable level of health preparedness and security of supply. The Nordic Region needs to take a common approach towards combating antimicrobial resistance, which constitutes one of the greatest threats to public health and our possibilities to continue treating infections and using modern treatments in the future. The Nordic Region must be a place where everyone can feel secure – both physically and socially – and where more can contribute their strengths. Where relevant, the surrounding regions and other international collaboration initiatives must also be taken into consideration.

On this basis, the Nordic Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs considers the following three types of initiatives to be highly relevant to the implementation of the co-operation programme.

In order to meet the prevailing challenges within the health and social sector, the Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs has agreed that common Nordic initiatives in the 2025–2030 period must contribute towards realising the following goals and sub-goals.