gms | German Medical Science

An inter-sectoral municipal public health action plan is meant to be an instrument of Public Health authorities within the municipal planning context and is intended to incorporate activities along the public health action cycle, thus from problem analysis and needs assessment to action planning and implementation [1]. It provides a proactive contribution of municipal health authorities e.g. to urban development, and thus a path that is not regularly taken.

Although initial steps in fostering local health authorities to set up Inter-sectoral municipal public health action plans were taken especially by LZG.NRW more than a decade ago, is not yet an established instrument. However, there have recently been a number of new initiatives in German municipalities to put the instrument back on the local agenda in one way or another.

The presentation introduces the idea behind inter-sectoral municipal public health action plans. It displays the instruments’ function in the local planning context and outlines its major objectives and possible stakeholders. Experiences deriving from plans that were already set up or are currently being carried out are shown as well. Thus, a comprehensive overview as well as more detailed insights into the characteristics and results of specific planning processes will be presented.

Following the presentation we would like to discuss requirements for future Inter-sectoral municipal public health action plans. The aim is to gather hints about how further contributions by public health authorities to urban development can look like, especially considering the ongoing effects of multiple major crises on human health (such as climate change, loss of natural resources, pandemics, energy crisis, etc).