The Ministry of Health existed alongside the Minister after 1 January 1970, when the Cabinet of Iceland Act no.
73/1969 took effect, since ministries had not formally existed separately from the ministers.
[1] Between 1 January 1970 and 1 January 2008 the position became Minister of Health and Social Security (Icelandic: Heilbrigðis- og tryggingamálaráðherra), and the ministry itself was renamed accordingly.
On 31 December 2010, the Ministry of Health was merged with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security to form the Ministry of Welfare.
73/1969, which had been passed by the parliament 28 May 1969, took effect on 1 January 1970, thus the Cabinet was formally established along with its ministries, which had up until then not formally existed separately from the ministers.