[Public health in Germany: linking care and prevention]

Germany coped with the coronavirus pandemic not least because of its well-equipped medical care system with a high density of doctors and hospitals. In the first wave in particular, the public health service also assumed responsibility for population medicine. The coronavirus crisis revealed the need for better equipment, expertise and sectoral coordination between health authorities. The pandemic exhibited the close connection between various health-related challenges, disease areas and health inequalities. Better coordination and cooperation between individual medical care, in particular general practitioners, and public health services responsible for population medicine is necessary for the future management of acute and chronic health problems. International experience shows how effective integration of these sectors can contribute to improving health care and reducing health inequalities. Against the background of the international health sciences debate, this article first presents the concepts of primary health care (PHC) and public health (PH). It then discusses the opportunities and challenges of a closer integration of primary health care and public health services, develops approaches for the corresponding further development of the German healthcare system and analyses the resulting options for improving population health.