Environmental medicine in public health service - A social responsibility and its consequences

The special committee for "Environmental Medicine" established by the Feder al Association of Doctors in the German Public Health Service presents its paper entitled "Environmental Medicine in the Public Health Service - A Soc ial Responsibility and its Consequences: Propositions with regard to the si tuation, aims, strategies, and opportunities for action". The paper include s core ideas and responsibilities in the public health service. It aims at providing a number of guidelines for implementing "Environment and Health" ("Umwelt und Gesundheit"), an action programme by the Federal Ministry of E nvironmental Protection and the Ministry of Health, as well as "Health 21" ("Gesundheit 21"), the framework concept "Health for all" for the WHO's Eur opean Region. The paper also aims at initiating and facilitating steps for joint action by the Public Health Service. These theses were passed on to M rs. Andrea Fischer, the Federal Minister of Health, during a meeting with t he Board of the Association. In Germany, environment-related public health protection is well establishe d in the Public Health Departments and state institutes/departments within the scope of public health provision and disease prevention. Typical respon sibilities include environmental hygiene and environment-related medical se rvices which have increased in importance. The range of responsibilities an d its current political importance are a result of environment-related publ ic health risks, the social situation of the population, also with regard t o health issues, and the scope of responsibilities and competencies by doct ors and staff in the public health departments. With the people's demands f or health, quality of life and life expectancy, this need for action increa ses. In this paper, judicial, professional, and personal consequence are pr esented which arise as public health authorities assume these responsibilit ies.