National nature health programme

Nature offers significant health benefits and strengthens the well-being of Finns. Together with partners, we are preparing a national nature health programme that will make the health benefits of nature an integral part of Finns’ everyday lives and health care.

What is it about?

Nature supports our health and well-being in many ways. Easy access to nature protects against depression, relieves stress and improves mood, among others. Nearby urban forests and green spaces help prevent cardiovascular diseases and possibly even respiratory diseases, including asthma and allergies.

If the positive health effects of nature reached our citizens extensively, Finland could curb the costs of endemic diseases to society and increase well-being.

This was discovered in a Sitra-funded study conducted by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). According to calculations, if people connect more with nature, Finland could get annual benefits of up to hundreds of millions of euros in the prevention of depression and type 2 diabetes alone, as well as in the use of asthma medication.

This is an important and topical issue as the physical condition, work ability and functional capacity of Finns have deteriorated. At the same time, public health care is struggling amid a funding crisis.

In the study, researchers of Luke and THL proposed the establishment of a national nature health programme. The programme would integrate the health benefits of nature into Finns’ daily lives and social welfare and health care.

Surveys show that Finns widely recognise the health benefits of nature. In the recent Nature Barometer (in Finnish), almost all the respondents felt that nature contributes to people’s health and well-being. As many as 97% of the respondents agreed with this statement.

Based on this, the nature health programme has now proceeded from an idea to concrete preparation. It is inspired by the National Allergy Programme (2008–2018), which delivered significant health and economic benefits for a relatively small financial investment.

What do we do?

Right now, we are preparing the national nature health programme together with our partners. The aim of the programme is to increase people’s exposure to nature, thereby reducing the burden of endemic disease and promoting well-being.

In practice, this means that Finns would be more exposed to the positive health effects of nature in their everyday lives, for example in the yards of daycare centres and schools, as well as in workplaces and care environments.

At the programme preparation phase, we are looking for concrete solutions to increase nature exposure through a funding call, for example. You can read more about them on Sitra’s funding call page (in Finnish).

The aim is to launch the nature health programme at the beginning of 2026.

Who are involved?

The preparation of the national health programme involves researchers and experts from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities, the Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, the Allergy and Asthma Federation as well as the Finnish Lung Health Association Filha. Also involved are nature health specialist physicians Tari Haahtela and Hanna Haveri.

Sitra’s role is to act as organiser, planning facilitator and also partly as an early-stage funder of the programme.