Strengthening health authorities – A step towards greater social justice

20.03.2024 11:36

„"Poor people die earlier. For women, the difference in life expectancy is about four years; for men, it is even more than eight years. This is unacceptable in a wealthy and highly developed society like ours. Therefore, urgent political countermeasures are needed. The public health service can play an important role in this," emphasized Dr. Klaus Reinhardt, President of the German Medical Association (BÄK), on the occasion of Health Department Day on March 19, 2024.

This year's motto is "Social Inequality and Health." Reinhardt stated that health authorities are central to protecting the health of the population. Socially disadvantaged people are an important target group for the public health service and the focus of daily work in cities, municipalities, and rural regions. In order for health authorities to be able to fulfill these vital tasks, they must be consistently strengthened and better funded and staffed. In addition to modern communication systems, incentives for physicians to work in health authorities are necessary. This includes, for example, collectively agreed, physician-specific remuneration for public health officers. Furthermore, the funding provided for under the Public Health Service Pact must be continued beyond 2026.

Christine Neumann-Grutzeck, co-chair of the BÄK working group "Public Health Services," adds: "People with low social status also suffer from cardiovascular, respiratory, or cancer diseases much more frequently and at an earlier age. They also make less use of individual preventive services. Here, too, the Public Health Service plays a key role, particularly in directly addressing and providing care to socially disadvantaged people locally."„

In addition to sustainable funding for the public health service, its integration with standard medical care should also be strengthened, said Rudolf Henke, also co-chair of the BÄK's "Public Health Service" working group. He also advocated for expanding cooperation between medical institutions and social and educational institutions, especially in disadvantaged and structurally weak regions. Numerous good practices already exist in this area. However, these must also be regularly funded to have a sustainable impact.