[Social medicine as a paradigm for innovative developments in public health]

The integration of national health authorities into the regional administrative departments in Bavaria at January 1st 1997 offers the chance to a further, demand-oriented development of the tasks of public health service, according to the situation of requirements of state and communes. Each layer of action educes a separate view on problems. National concern of public health care is above all health protection, medical supervision and the composition of special medical estimates. Public health care developed in communal responsibility first and foremost serves provisions for existence of citizens. Looking after national concerns of public health in a figurative sphere of activity, public health care has ist main focus in the fields of health and social issues (health education and assistance, social-compensatory tasks), prevention and health promotion. Today in research and teaching at universities these tasks are represented by social medicine and the public health research associations. They are elaborating the specialized and the orientation-related knowledge. The public health assistance institutions as well as prevention and health promotion obtaining increasing importance in our health service, developments are necessary that enable the public health service in Bavaria to fulfill these communal tasks in the future.