Germany Launches Living Online Glossary to Standardise Health Promotion Terminology
Published on 07/31/2026 at 01:20 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A new digital reference tool aims to bring clarity to the field of public health promotion and prevention. The Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG), in collaboration with ZB MED – the German National Library of Medicine – has released a "Living Handbook" as an open-access platform that systematically organises key terms in health promotion and prevention, with the capacity for continuous updates.
Originally published in print in 1996 under the title "Leitbegriffe der Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention" (Key Concepts of Health Promotion and Prevention), the work is now available for the first time as a living online reference. The technical setup allows precise versioning and citation of content, ensuring researchers and practitioners can track changes over time.
"We need a reliable digital infrastructure for the professional public," said Prof. Dr. Ursula Arning of ZB MED. The goal, she explained, is to enable prevention measures to be planned on a current scientific basis.
The launch comes as fresh data underscores the urgency of systematic health promotion. According to DAK-Gesundheit, the sickness rate in North Rhine-Westphalia stood at 5.6 percent in the first half of 2026 – a slight decline from the previous year. The figures, based on approximately 385,000 insured individuals, reveal a mixed picture: while respiratory illnesses dropped by 20 percent, mental health conditions rose by 9 percent and have now become the most common cause of work incapacity.
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Experts are calling for a sustained continuation of the prevention offensive launched by the Federal Ministry of Health. In late July, the German Society for Internal Medicine also advocated for the introduction of a tobacco and sugar tax.
On the workplace front, uptake of company-sponsored preventive services remains uneven. A study by Continentale found that only one in two employees uses such offers. Company pension plans lead at 37 percent, followed by accident insurance (13 percent), company health insurance (11 percent), and income protection (8 percent).
Globally, physical inactivity poses a major health threat. The World Health Organization reports that 31 percent of adults and 81 percent of adolescents do not get enough exercise. Without countermeasures, the WHO warns of roughly 500 million new disease cases by 2030, carrying costs of around 300 billion US dollars.
Some sectors are already testing targeted solutions. AOK Bayern and the University of Allensbach have launched a project focused on healthy onboarding in nursing care. The aim is to retain new skilled workers through health-oriented integration concepts. Following a pilot phase in 2026, a nationwide rollout is planned for 2027.
The Federal Chamber of Pharmacists has also adopted a new guideline on medication management. Designed to improve therapy adherence through close documentation and personal contact between pharmacists and patients, the guideline leaves treatment authority with physicians.
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Evidence of progress comes from the "Smoke-Free in May" campaign: more than 19,000 people took part, with several thousand successfully quitting smoking. This represents a meaningful contribution given that tobacco use causes roughly 130,000 deaths annually in Germany.
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