Int´l experts to evaluate Finland’s health security

An International experts group will evaluate Finland’s health security from March 27 to March 31, said a government press release.

Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international organisations examine Finland’s preparedness to respond to broad health threats, for example to influenza pandemic or to antimicrobial resistance or other local epidemics that threaten to spread globally.

The evaluation supports the implementation of WHO’s International Health Regulations approved by 196 UN member countries.

An external evaluation mechanism taken into use in 2016 has made the evaluations more effective than before, and Finland has been active in developing the mechanism with the WHO and other countries.

A large group of representatives from different authorities will participate the country-specific evaluation of Finnish health security, and the evaluation will be steered by the Finnish Security Committee.

Authorities have carried out a comprehensive self-evaluation and its results will be presented to the international external evaluation group.

The external evaluation gives Finland an opportunity to receive independent information on how the country has prepared for various situations threatening human, animal and environmental health.

At the end of the evaluation, the international evaluation group will give recommendations for authorities’ measures to further develop health security in Finland.

On the basis of the evaluation, Finnish authorities will together draw up a plan for securing health for humans, animals and the environment. Cooperation between authorities and other stakeholders will be improved and comprehensive security will be strengthened as the model of Finnish preparedness.

The health security evaluation in Finland is part of a larger international evaluation procedure and the first evaluation to be carried out in the EU. Over 30 country evaluations have already been carried out around the world. Finland has been actively developing the evaluation process and Finnish experts have participated in health system evaluations in various countries.