Welcome to the Institute of Public Health at the University of Cologne!

The Institute of Public Health at the University of Cologne was founded in November 2023. The new institution strengthens the cross-sectional area of "Health, People, Society" as an overarching research topic of the Faculty of Medicine: Taking into account the social value system and the challenges of distributive justice and sustainability with limited resources, systematic approaches to prevention and health promotion are to be investigated across sectors and solutions developed. The Institute will analyze issues relevant to population medicine and develop interventions to optimize the health service.

Center for Infection Medicine (CIM)

The Institute of Public Health is a member of the Center for Infection Medicine (CIM) at Cologne University Hospital.

Further information

Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Unit Germany

The Institute is the lead of the Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Unit Germany, headed by Prof. Dr. Nicole Skoetz. In collaboration with the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, the University of Oxford, the Julius Center of the UMC Utrecht, and Bangor University, the methodological and clinical expertise of previous Cochrane sites is bundled to produce high quality Cochrane Reviews.

Further information

WHO Collaborating Centre on Evidence Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Cancer Therapies

The Institute of Public Health is a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Evidence Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Cancer Therapies. Based on high-quality systematic reviews, it prepares applications for the WHO Essential Medicines List, which are prioritized in advance together with the WHO.

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Bridge Professorship Univ.-Prof. Dr. Nicole Skoetz

In November 2023, the Faculty of Medicine established a bridge professorship for Public Health, awarded to Prof. Dr Nicole Skoetz. Nicole Skoetz is also Director of a WHO Collaborating Centre on Evidence Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Cancer Therapies. She is particularly committed to the issue of distributive justice, even with limited resources. Nicole Skoetz has many years of experience in evidence-based medicine, including as head of a Cochrane Review Group and coordinator of various evidence-based guidelines.

Pact for the Public Health Service

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Health Service has become the focus of politics and society and has taken on a key role in crisis management. However, it also became clear that the public health service needs to be strengthened and modernised in terms of personnel in order to better deal with future crises and challenges caused by climate change, new pathogens and demographic change in order to protect the health of the population. On 29 September 2020, the federal and state governments therefore adopted the Pact for the Public Health Service to involve more employees throughout Germany and to promote modernisation and networking. This also implies strengthening research and teaching at universities. For example, the newly founded institute will drive forward innovative healthcare research projects in which the City of Cologne's public health department is involved.

UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE

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