title: [Consolidated efforts to strengthen health promotion in living environments: The cooperation network "Equity in Health"].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2003, the German Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) initiated a national Cooperation Network named "Equity in Health" to address scientific results, focusing on the association between social inequalities and health. The main goal is to support setting approaches aimed at reducing these health inequalities.
  In the autumn of 2015 the Cooperation Network comprised a total of 65 (institutional) cooperation partners, e.g., from prevention and health promotion, from the medical profession, from the welfare associations, and from the municipal umbrella organziations. The website www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de was created to present the information available on all activities and structures. Further, Coordination Centers for Health Equity were established in all federal states of Germany to advise, coordinate and provide support for all those who are actively engaged in the key issues for each state. These Coordination Centers are sponsored by the statutory sickness funds and the Health Ministry of the respective states. They also support continuous quality improvement, based on the good practice criteria developed by the Cooperation Network. Since 2011, the local partner process "Health for All" (until November 2015 "Growing Up Healthily for All") has assisted the municipalities in developing their own integrated health strategies oriented toward the different stages in the life course ("prevention chains").
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results and structures that have emerged from the Cooperation Network form a good basis for the implementation of the new national Prevention Law passed by German Parliament in July 2015, to expand and develop further, on a country-wide basis and in the various states, living-space-oriented prevention and health promotion consolidating activities. The paper also discusses the present and future challenges of the Cooperation Network.
authors.affiliation: Gesundheit Berlin-Brandenburg e. V., Friedrichstraße 231, 10969, Berlin, Deutschland. kilian@gesundheitbb.de.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kilian
authors.affiliation: Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung, Köln, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.affiliation: Landesvereinigung für Gesundheit und Akademie für Sozialmedizin Niedersachsen e. V., Hannover, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richter-Kornweitz
authors.affiliation: Fakultät Soziale Arbeit, Gesundheit und Pflege, Hochschule Esslingen, Esslingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Lotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaba-Schönstein
authors.affiliation: Institut für Gesundheitsökonomie und Management im Gesundheitswesen, Helmholtz-Zentrum München, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mielck
mesh_terms: D005858:Germany; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D064890:Social Determinants of Health
keywords: Cooperation network; Good practice; Health inequality; Prevention chains; Setting approach