Directorate of Health


The Directorate of Health is an Icelandic government agency whose principal role is to promote high-quality and safe health care for the people of Iceland, health promotion, and effective disease prevention measures.

History

The Directorate was founded on 18 March 1760 when Bjarni Pálsson was made the first Director of Health by a royal decree. In 2018, Alma Möller became the first woman to serve as Director.

Directors of Health

  • Bjarni Pálsson 1760–1779
  • Jón Sveinsson 1780–1803
  • Sveinn Pálsson 1803–1804
  • Tómas Klog 1804–1815
  • Oddur Hjaltalín 1816–1820
  • Jón Thorstenssen 1820–1855
  • Jón Hjaltalín 1855–1881
  • Jónas Jónassen 1881–1882
  • Hans J. G. Schierbeck 1882–1895
  • Jónas Jónassen 1895–1906
  • Guðmundur Björnsson 1906–1931
  • Vilmundur Jónsson 1931–1959
  • Sigurður Sigurðsson 1960–1972
  • Ólafur Ólafsson 1972–1998
  • Sigurður Guðmundsson 1998–2006
  • Matthías Halldórsson 2006–2007
  • Sigurður Guðmundsson 2007–2008
  • Matthías Halldórsson 2008–2009
  • Geir Gunnlaugsson 2010–2014
  • Birgir Jakobsson 2015–2018
  • Alma Möller 2018–2024
  • Gudrún Aspelund 2024–2025
  • María Heimisdóttir 2025–present