[Essentials of prevention policy in Germany]

Prevention has become a major task of German health policy. In light of decreasing birth rates and low ages for starting retirement, prevention can contribute to stabilizing the social system by helping to prevent the outburst of diseases, ensure early diagnosis, and facilitate better coping strategies. It can also help to postpone or prevent early retirement and nursing care. To utilize preventive potentials German health policy has initiated the German Forum on Prevention and Health Promotion and a Law on Prevention, which is being negotiated in the German Parliament at present. In order to strengthen prevention, a system will be created that is financed by health, pension, accident and nursing insurance providers together. There will be campaigns, initiation of behavioural changes and setting activities (as required and described by WHO). The system will be controlled by common goals and targets, quality standards and a reporting duty to monitor the efficiency. On the federal level there will be a foundation on prevention and health promotion by the social insurance for the purpose of coordination. The German Forum has existed for 3 years now being a voluntary joint venture of relevant actors in prevention. The aim is to work together and create synergies. At present it is working on four topics: healthy kindergarden and schools, health promotion in firms, healthy aging and organisation and law.