The Institute’s main tasks

The Swedish National Institute of Public Health provides knowledge and lends support to the central government, state agencies, regional authorities, municipalities and other organisations in the field of health promotion and disease prevention.

The Institute’s three main tasks

• Monitoring and coordinating the implementation of the national public health policy. This function is comprehensive in nature and requires the Institute to, for example, devise indicators relevant to both the national public health objectives and to the policy being pursued, as well as keep in close contact with other relevant state agencies to follow-up the implementation of the policy. The Institute regularly submits a Public Health Policy Report to the central government as a basis for discussions about the development and implementation of the national public health policy.
• To be a national centre of knowledge for the development and dissemination of methods and strategies in the field of public health. The Institute’s role as a centre of excellence within the field of public health involves developing and conveying knowledge to central government and its agencies, as well as to regional authorities, municipalities and NGO’s. There is an urgent need for knowledge on effective methods of promoting public health, based on scientific evidence. This function also includes monitoring the development of theory in all spheres of public health.
• Exercising supervision in the fields of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs. The Institute must issue regulations and general recommendations relating to alcohol, as well as collect national data on illicit drugs and assume responsibility for product control and printed warnings on tobacco products according to EU regulations. This function necessitates guiding and exercising supervision within the framework of relevant national and international legislation.

How the Institute works

Knowledge about health promotion and disease prevention is compiled and disseminated via  the Institute’s website and through reports, periodicals and handbooks. In addition, the Institute frequently arranges and participates in conferences, seminars and training programs both nationally and internationally. The work of the Institute is carried out in close collaboration with stakeholders on local and regional level, since that is where the majority of the practical public health activities take place.

The Institute exercises supervision to guarantee that the sale of alcohol and the production of alcoholic beverages occurs in a responsible manner and that laws and regulations of alcohol retail and production are upheld. Regarding the sale of tobacco and smoking regulations, it is the responsibility of municipalities to exercise direct control, however, the Institute provides guidance, information and training while monitoring adherence to the relevant legislation.