[Reform of the public health service--needs and perspectives]

The fundamental prerequisite of reorganising public health agencies is to create a new perspective of health policy. At present this realisation is the essence of the renewal of public health in the Anglo-American countries. The reorganisation of public health services in the old and in the new laender of the Federal Republic of Germany would gain by taking stock of the essential points that have been formulated by experts in the Anglo-American countries: the assessment of health problems by epidemiologists and health economists, the development of interorganizational cooperation, and the regional planning of health services. For translating these concepts into reality, public health has an unrivalled lead as far as chances and prerequisites are concerned, but the main obstacle is that continuing education and training are being blocked by the superior administrative bodies, so that there is a lack of experience in epidemiology, health policy and management.