Health promotion on the federal level. Goals, structures and main effort of the section for the prevention of the Federal Department for Public Health

The newly created section for prevention at the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is concentrating its health promotion activities according to the strategies for 'Health for all by the year 2000' on the following points: National policies (target 13 for WHO European region): To increase participation of specialists in prevention and intensify discussion on aspects of health promotion in federal consultative commissions to improve collaboration with parliamentary groups concerned with health policy. Research strategies (target 32): To shift research funds of the FOPH from curative to preventive activities, with possible expansion of the budget for research (taking on the responsibility for the distribution of the funds according to article 43a of the alcohol law, and studying the possibilities of creating a special fund for prevention); to define main research topics in line with the special interests of the federal administration and the consultative commissions; to elaborate guidelines on research support by the FOPH in accordance with other research funding bodies in Switzerland. National legislation (target 33): The cantons do not wish a federal law on prevention; therefore the remaining possibility is to complete existing laws relating to health and to create reglementations on the distribution of funds for prevention. Managerial process (target 34): The federal government cannot interfere with concrete actions for health promotion but it can intensify the collaboration with the decision making bodies in politics and administration (create a forum for cantonal contact persons on questions of addiction and prevention, collaboration with consultative commissions).