SNIPH

At SNIPH, two indexes of preventive activity in the local communities have been constructed and are currently being validated.

Data for these indexes are collected through a yearly survey from SNIPH to all municipalities in Sweden, and through archival information on licensed premises.

A number of previous preliminary analyses based on more complex indexes have been conducted on material collected over a four year period (SNIPH, 2006).

Since 2003, the SNIPH has been responsible for monitoring public health and public policies and for coordinating the effort to meet public health objectives.

The SNIPH does not have any real legislative, budgetary or technical tools with which to encourage or compel responsible authorities to implement social and health policies designed to meet the national objectives that it sets.

In this connection, consider the Canadian federal government's failure to adapt public programs in other sectors and the Swedish government's failure to give the SNIPH the real power and resources it needs to coordinate and evaluate the programs run by sub-national governments.

Indeed, the SNIPH has no responsibility for formulating emergency plans for epidemics, for controlling the spread of infectious diseases, for directing laboratories for toxicological analyses, or for responding to imminent threats.