Surveillance and Monitoring Results of the Working Group 10 of the Forum Future Public Health, Berlin 2016

Evidence-based health policies and evidence-based measures need comprehensive information on the health of the population. The existing health surveillance system provides reliable answers to many health policy issues. Nonetheless, there are many information gaps not yet covered or are only covered via short-term project solutions. 1. We need to strengthen and expand existing health surveillance and monitoring to continuously collect information on the health status of all population groups, including those that are difficult to reach through the existing surveys and methods, such as people with a migration background, or socially disadvantaged. This information must be regularly available on the national, regional and also on the local level. 2. The use of existing data on health, for example from official statistics or social insurance, must be significantly expanded and strengthened. The infrastructure for scientific analyses of health data as well as the transfer of information to policy makers and the public must be strengthened. Through an expansion of the resources for scientific processing of health-relevant questions, Public Health can make an important contribution to effective health policies.