Federal Ministry of Health (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The Federal Ministry of Health, (in German
, Bundesministerium für Gesundheit) is a ministry
of the German
federal government
(see also Bundesregierung). It is the highest German federal government department responsible for health
.
The ministry has its headquarters in Bonn
and a second official location in Berlin
.
In 1991, the Federal Ministry of Health was restored. In 2002, it was expanded to include social affairs and renamed "Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security" (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Soziale Sicherung). In 2005 it was again reduced to health, and responsibility for social affairs was moved to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social affairs
(Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales).
1969-1991: Federal Ministry for Youth, Family and Health:
1991-2002: Federal Ministry of Health:
2002-2005: Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security:
2005-present: Federal Ministry of Health:
The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for:
The Federal Ministry of Health is also responsible for the non-disciplinary supervision of
and the legal supervision of the umbrella organizations of the statutory health insurance schemes.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Bundesministerium für Gesundheit) is a ministry
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
federal government
Politics of Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, based on representative democracy. The Chancellor is the head of government, while the President of Germany is the head of state, which is a ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers.Executive power is vested in the...
(see also Bundesregierung). It is the highest German federal government department responsible for health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
.
The ministry has its headquarters in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and a second official location in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
History
The Federal Ministry of Health was founded in 1961; in 1969 it was merged with the Federal Ministry for Family and Youth to create the new Federal Ministry for Youth, Family and Health.In 1991, the Federal Ministry of Health was restored. In 2002, it was expanded to include social affairs and renamed "Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security" (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Soziale Sicherung). In 2005 it was again reduced to health, and responsibility for social affairs was moved to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social affairs
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Germany)
The Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs is a top-level federal agency of the Federal Republic of Germany headed by the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs as a member of the Cabinet of Germany...
(Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales).
Ministers
1961-1969: Federal Ministry for Health Matters (Bundesministerium für Gesundheitswesen):- Elisabeth SchwarzhauptElisabeth SchwarzhauptElisabeth Schwartzhaupt was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. She was Federal Minister of Health from 1961 to 1966, the first woman to hold a Ministerial position in Germany....
(CDU) (1961-1966) - Käte StrobelKäte StrobelKäte Strobel was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .Born in Nuremberg, from 1923 to 1938 Käte Müller worked in the office of agricultural organisations in Bavaria. In 1928, she married Hans Strobel, who in 1934 was arrested for planning high treason against the Nazis...
(SPD) (1966-1969)
1969-1991: Federal Ministry for Youth, Family and Health:
- Käte Strobel (SPD) (1969-1972)
- Dr. Katharina Focke (SPD) (1972-1976)
- Antje Huber (SPD) (1976-1982)
- Anke FuchsAnke FuchsAnke Fuchs is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. She served as Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health and as Vice President of the Bundestag . Since 2003, she has been the President of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.-Biography:She was born Anke...
(SPD) (1982-1982; for about 6 months) - Dr. Heiner GeißlerHeiner GeißlerHeiner Geißler is a German politician with the Christian Democratic Union party.Geißler studied law and philosophy in Munich and Tübingen, where he graduated in 1960....
(CDU) (1982-1985) - Prof. Rita SüssmuthRita SüssmuthRita Süssmuth is a German politician and a member of the Christian Democratic Union .From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth was Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. She was a member of the German Bundestag from 1987 to 2002...
(CDU) (1985-1988) - Prof. Ursula Lehr (CDU) (1988-1991)
1991-2002: Federal Ministry of Health:
- Gerda HasselfeldtGerda HasselfeldtGerda Hasselfeldt is a Bavarian politician who served as Health Minister for one year before being succeeded by Horst Seehofer....
(CDU) (1991-1992) - Horst SeehoferHorst SeehoferHorst Lorenz Seehofer is a German politician . He was Federal Minister for Health and Social Security from 1992 to 1998 and served as Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in the cabinet of Angela Merkel from 2005 to 2008...
(CSU) (1992-1998) - Andrea FischerAndrea FischerAndrea Fischer was a member of the German Bundestag for the German Green Party and from 1998 until 2001 Federal Minister for Health...
(Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) (1998-2001) - Ursula „Ulla“ SchmidtUlla SchmidtUrsula Schmidt is a German politician. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .-Party memberships:...
(SPD) (2001-2002)
2002-2005: Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security:
- Ursula Schmidt (SPD) (2002-2005)
2005-present: Federal Ministry of Health:
- Ursula Schmidt (SPD) (2005-2009)
- Philipp RöslerPhilipp RöslerPhilipp Rösler is a German politician, who, since 2011, has been the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology and the Vice Chancellor of Germany...
(FDP) (2009-2011) - Daniel BahrDaniel BahrDaniel Bahr is a German politician and member of the FDP.He is the FDP's expert on health politics and was chairman of the party's youth organization, the Young Liberals, from 1999 to 2004....
(FDP) (2011-)
Responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Health
-
- See also: Health in GermanyHealth in GermanyAccording to the World Health Organization, Germany's health care system was 77% government-funded and 23% privately funded as of 2004. In 2004 Germany ranked thirtieth in the world in life expectancy . It had a very low infant mortality rate , and it was tied for eighth place in the number of...
- See also: Health in Germany
The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for:
- maintaining the effectiveness and efficiency of the statutory health insurance and long-term care insurance systems
- maintaining and enhancing the quality of the health care system
- strengthening the interests of patients
- maintaining economic viability and stabilization of contribution levels
- preventive and prophylactic healthcare
- the Protection against Infection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz, or IfSG)
- establishing guidelines for the manufacture, clinical trial, approval, distribution channels and monitoring of medicines and medical devices. The objectives are:
- quality, medical efficacy and safety
- safety of biological medical products such as blood products
- narcotics and addiction risk prevention
- prevention, rehabilitation and disability policy
- medical and occupational rehabilitation
- disability law
- providing assistance to the disabled and promoting their interests
- European and international health policy, including the work of the Federal Government Narcotics Officer and the patients' ombudsman.
Supervisory role
The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for the comprehensive (disciplinary) supervision of the following governmental institutions:- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, or BfArM) in BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
- Federal Centre for Health Education (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung, or BZgA) in CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
- German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information (Deutsches Institut für medizinische Dokumentation und Information, or DIMDI) in CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
- Paul-Ehrlich-InstitutPaul-Ehrlich-Institut (Germany)The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut is an institution of the Federal Republic of Germany and a medical regulatory body. The Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines reports to the Federal Ministry of Health ....
(PEI, Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines) in Langen, HesseLangen, HesseLangen is a town of roughly 36,000 in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, between Darmstadt and Frankfurt am Main... - Robert Koch InstituteRobert Koch InstituteThe Robert Koch Institute is the German federal institution responsible for disease control and prevention. It is located in Berlin and Wernigerode and is part of the Federal Ministry of Health.-History:...
(RKI) in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
The Federal Ministry of Health is also responsible for the non-disciplinary supervision of
- the German Federal (Social) Insurance Authority (Bundesversicherungsamt).
and the legal supervision of the umbrella organizations of the statutory health insurance schemes.
See also
- In Europe - European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
- Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (SANCO)