Ministry of Health and Solidarity

Responsible for health, social protection, family welfare, the elderly and the disabled, the Ministry of Health and Solidarity oversees most of France’s health and social welfare sector. It is assisted in this task by both its internal directorates and a wide network of regional services and specialist agencies.

A very broad remit

As the main player in the field of social welfare, the Ministry of Health and Solidarity has a very broad and diverse portfolio of responsibilities.
Its remit extends notably to the following areas:

• policies on public health and major diseases,
• planning and organisation of hospitals and health care establishments,
• social security (sickness, maternity, industrial injury, retirement, family benefits, etc.),
• complementary social welfare and mutual insurance,
• health care access for low-income individuals,
• family and early childhood policies,
• policies targeting the elderly,
• policies targeting people with disabilities,
• international cooperation in the area of health and social welfare.

The Ministry of Health and Solidarity, together with the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, has authority over the social security bodies and the complementary social protection bodies. It also oversees those hospitals, care homes and nursing homes that fall within the jurisdiction of the state.

Internal directorates and agencies

• Ministry policies are implemented by various internal directorates:

• Social Affairs Departments Secretariat (SG),
• Health Directorate General (DGS),
• Directorate of Hospitalisation and Organisation of Treatment (DHOS),
• Interministerial Delegation for Disabled Persons (DIPH),
• Directorate for Research, Studies, Assessment and Statistics (DREES),
• Social Security Directorate (DSS),
• Directorate General for Nuclear Safety and Protection (DGSNR),
• Directorate General for Social Action (DGAS),
• General Inspectorate for Social Affairs (IGAS),
• Directorate for General Administration, Personnel and Budget (DAGPB),
• Delegation for European and International Affairs (DAEI),
• Interministerial Delegation for Family (DIF),
• Interministerial Delegation for Disabled Persons (DIPH),
• Information and Communication Directorate (DICOM),
• Senior Official for Defence (HFD).

The Ministry also has two other entities at its disposal:

• General Delegation for Employment and Professional Training (DGEFP),
• Interministerial Mission for the Fight Against Drugs and Drug Addiction (MILDT).

• Other Ministry of Health tasks are performed by the various health agencies:

• National Biomedicine Agency (ABM),
• French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA),
• French Health Products Safety Agency (AFSSAPS),
• French Environmental Health Safety Agency (AFSSE),
• National School of Public Health (ENSP),
• French Blood Donors Institute (EFS),
• French National Health Authority (HAS),
• National Institute for Health Education and Prevention (INPES),
• Health Watch Institute (InVS),
• French Nuclear Protection and Safety Institution (IRSN).

External services

To implement its programmes, the Ministry employs around 15,000 people, including 12,000 staff in the external government services.
These include:

• The departmental directorates for Health and Social Affairs (DDASS),
• the regional directorates for Health and Social Affairs (DRASS),
• the regional hospital agencies (ARH).

International action

This is the area of responsibility of the Delegation for European and International Affairs (DAEI).
The DAEI’s responsibilities are as follows:

• It is one of the bodies that represent France at European level (European Union and Council of Europe) on health and social welfare issues.
• It is responsible for the implementation of European bilateral cooperation programmes in that field.
• It is responsible for bilateral and multilateral international cooperation programmes, and in particular initiatives sponsored by the international health and welfare organisations (World Health Organisation, International Labour Organization, etc.).

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