Research Forum on Health Economics

Illness rates are increasing across the country and also in the municipalities of Västernorrland. This entails increased costs for individuals, organizations, and society. Koustuv Dalal, a professor of health economics affiliated with CER, spoke about the importance of relating work environment, work-related injuries, and sick leave to economics. He presented statistics showing, among other things, that the nation's societal costs for sick leave amount to a staggering 71 billion Swedish kronor. As a good example of how investments in health-promoting and proactive measures in the workplace can pay off, Caroline Ytterström, HR manager, and Johanna Eurenius, HR developer, then talked about how SPV (Swedish Pension Agency) has worked on these issues in the long term, investing 80% of its health budget in preventive measures. The discussion was moderated by social analyst Evelina Wahlqvist.