The Directorate of Health aims to promote health and well-being in Iceland, through good and safe healthcare services, health promotion and effective disease prevention.
Pertussis (Whooping cough)
Pertussis or whooping cough is a severe respiratory infection in children, especially in the first months of life. In adolescents and adults the disease is known by chronic and persistent coughing. The best prevention is vaccination.
License to practice and certificate
The Directorate of Health grants licenses to healthcare professionals and issues certificates confirming valid licenses to practice.
Interactive Dashboard
Statistics on public health and the activities of health services are available in interactive dashboards. The dashboards are based on data from health registers and surveys.
Dietary recommendations
A healthy and varied diet is important for health and well-being. The dietary recommendations emphasize increasing the consumption of vegetables, fruit, fish and whole grain products and reducing the consumption of sugar, saturated fat, salt and highly processed products.
News from Directorate of Health
New Dashboard: Participation in general childhood vaccinations in Iceland
The Chief Epidemiologist has launched an interactive dashboard featuring information on participation in general childhood vaccinations in Iceland from the year 2017.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use
Each year, 4.3 million patients in hospitals in the EU/EEA acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection, during their stay in the hospital.