SucheEquality in Health
Health inequalities are documented across all European countries. There is a clear connection between social status and the risk of falling ill or dying prematurely in Germany as well. Therefore, the Federal Institute of Public Health, together with national and international cooperation partners, coordinates two projects (www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de and www.health-inequalities.eu), both of which aim to compile existing measures and strategies for eliminating health inequalities, exchange expertise, and identify and further disseminate examples of Good Practice.
National Cooperation Network for Health Promotion for the Socially Disadvantaged
The nationwide Cooperation Network "Health Promotion for the Socially Disadvantaged" (www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de) was initiated by the Federal Institute of Public Health in 2003. A total of 53 partner organisations are currently represented in the Cooperation Network: all Federal Associations for Health, the National Association for Prevention and Health Promotion, almost all head associations of the health insurance funds, national medical associations, welfare associations, several Federal State Departments and scientific centres. This cooperation project is accompanied by an advisory board of experts, scientists, actors of the health field affiliated to the Federal Institute of Public Health.
Today, more than 2,000 projects and measures in the field of health promotion for the socially disadvantaged can be reviewed on www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de, including 100 examples of Good Practice in health promotion for socially disadvantaged people. A detailed description of the Good Practice criteria addressed by the National Cooperation Network, the selection procedure, and the exemplary projects can be found in Vol. 5 of the Federal Institute of Public Health Specialist Booklet Series on "Methods of Health Promotion". The publication can be ordered or downloaded (in German) as a PDF file via our online ordering system.
The aim of this network project, which now involves 53 cooperation partners, is to document and to publish projects, measures, and programmes in the field of health promotion for the socially disadvantaged and to transfer existing Good Practice (improved transfer).
Online Services
www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de
The Internet platform www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de can currently be used to search 2,000 projects and measures of health promotion for the socially disadvantaged by setting, intervention field, offer type, target group, age group, provider or project name, as well as by Federal States and places/communities. The activities at the level of the Federal States can be searched via the Regional Centres.
The cooperation project is accompanied by a scientific, advisory Working Group comprising representatives from practice, the scientific community, governmental and non-governmental organisations. The Working Group described Good Practice Criteria in Health Promotion for the Socially Disadvantaged, agreeing on them in 2004. The fourth, expanded edition of Vol. 5 of the "Methods of Health Promotion" series presents the development of these Good Practice Criteria, as well as a selection of 99 exemplary projects.
The Cooperation Network is currently borne by a collaborative effort of the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG), all national head associations of health insurance funds, social welfare organisations, Federal State Associations for Health and several Federal State Departments, scientific centres, Federal Associations of Medical Fraternity as well as the German Association of Cities, the Federal Employment Agency of Germany and other institutions and organisations. A total of 53 partner organisations are currently represented in the Cooperation Network.
www.health-inequalities.eu
Continuing from the EU project "Closing the Gap: Strategies for Action to Tackle Health Inequalities in Europe", the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) - whose responsibilities are now carried out by the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) - has been working on the successor project "Determine" since mid-2007. A total of 26 participating countries and 50 players/organisations are supporting the "health-in-all-policies" approach. All information from the "Closing the Gap" project, and all activities from the successor project "Determine", can be searched at the familiar address: www.health-inequalities.eu.
