The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishment of a Knowledge Hub at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) was signed by the Convention Secretariat and the THL in December 2013. The MoU sets out the THL as a Knowledge Hub in areas of THL’s expertise in relation to the Convention, and in particular in respect of promoting epidemiological surveillance and health-in-all-policies approach to support the implementation of the Convention internationally, and with emphasis to the needs of developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition.
THL is the flagship academic institution in Finland in the area of health and welfare. THL operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. THL has strong international recognition and experience in public health, including the areas of non-communicable disease control and prevention and, particularly, promotion of epidemiological surveillance and health-in-all-policies approach. THL leads and participates in multiple national and international surveys and projects related to the epidemiology of tobacco use; development and implementation of interventions to reduce tobacco consumption at community and individual level; development, guidance and follow-up of tobacco control policies at different levels.
Overall, THL is the principle national statistic authority in the field of health and welfare. THL studies population health and welfare, effectiveness of health and welfare policies and services, environmental health as well as social problems. THL collects and produces information on the state of health care and welfare, on social and health services as well as on diseases and their treatment.
THL develops and guides social and health care and provides expert assistance to decision-makers and service providers in Finland and abroad. THL’s expertise draws on high-quality research, extensive statistics and registers, and knowledge of our interest groups’ needs. THL guides and provides government services in the field of social and health care and is responsible for official duties under its purview.
Further information about THL, its functions and activities, its achievements and challenges is available at https://www.thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en.