Current forum. 40 years German Central Unit for Public Health Care--the German Central Unit for Public Health Care was discontinued June 1996

The German Centre for Public Health Care (Deutsche Zentrale für Volksgesundheitspflege = DZV) was founded during the winter of 1955/56. The DZV contributed to important issues and developments, such as the foundation of the Federal Ministry of Health 1960, the Law for Youth Labour Protection and the Federal Law on Dental Care for Children. In 1966 the DZV started special courses for "Professions in the Public Health Care Services". Since 1995 the board and management of the DZV aimed at integrating the organisation into the general development of public health and health promotion in Germany. The DZV was intended to function as an integrational forum for the discussion of health sciences, health care policy, health administration and health-oriented practice. But the economic situation finally caused the Federal Government to abandon the institutional subsidies granted to the DZV for over 40 years. The abolishment of the DZV means that on a Federal level, there is no independent institution left which unites public health care and prevention in the typical combination of politics and administration on the different levels of Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments and non-governmental institutions in the exchange of scientific knowledge, administration, politics and local efforts.