Public Health in Germany

This project, commissioned by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is devoted to the question whether Germany is fulfilling its potential in public health and responding to the global challenges. Taking a problem-based and asset-based approach, the analysis is based on international comparisons and indicates that there are large gaps and opportunities – in health promotion and disease prevention, infectious disease outbreak management, analysis of large health data sets, and in responding to advances in science and technology and using robust evidence to inform policy options. The project includes seven workshops organised in 2013, reviewing all major aspects from the history of public health and its functions, living conditions and causality, prevention and health education, public health genomics, infection epidemiology, national and global strategies and the public health workforce, and a 100-page report with several appendices published by the German National Academy of Sciences. The recommendations focus on (a) how to improve the contribution of academia to strengthen public health outcomes in Germany and (b) how reformed academic public health capacities in Germany could contribute to a strengthened role at the National, European and international level. They are directed to academia and its funders and other research institutions, public health professionals, policy-makers at the federal, state, county, and municipal levels, other parts of the health economy including insurance, pharmaceutical and other commercial sectors, and international partners in the EU and global organisations. This project has been successfully completed. Results have been published in a Report by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.