The department works in a close network of cooperative partnerships with national and international scientific institutions (see below) and is a member of diverse research associations. It is involved in the German Centre for Cardiovascular Disease and the German Centre for Diabetes Research. All units work according to the life course approach and take the specifics of the various stages of life into account. In view of the particular significance of the childhood and adolescence stage, a Child and Youth Health steering committee forms part of the department management. In this committee, proposals are developed for the strategic objectives of the department in the area of children’s and adolescents’ health and support is provided in the implementation of these proposals. The steering committee is made up of one scientist from each unit as a representative of the respective unit.

Because of its experience in conducting monitoring studies, the department was awarded the contract for external quality assurance at the German National Cohort (NaKo). In this context, a working group, partly financed by third-party funds, conducts site visits in the NaKo study centres. The working group develops quantitative and qualitative methods of quality assurance that are implemented in a standardised manner. The quality assurance concepts provided are also used for the health monitoring activities of the department. The aim is to create a comprehensive quality management concept as a prerequisite for consistently high study and data quality. The department performs its own research in the field of methods for health studies and discusses this with the professional public.

The Centre for Cancer Registry Data, which performs tasks stipulated by the Federal Cancer Registry Data Act, is part of the department. A scientific advisory board supports and advises the Centre for Cancer Registry Data in the completion of its tasks.

The Advisory Board for Health Monitoring and Health Reporting supports and advises the department in designing, carrying out and implementing health monitoring, as well as in further development and quality assurance of health reporting.

The Committee for Environmental Medicine works in close technical cooperation with the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA). Its branch office is based in the department. The committee’s task is to advise the RKI and UBA on topical issues relating to environmental medicine. The focus is on assessments of environment-related (biological, physical, chemical and socioecological) health risks for the population and on the implementation of preventative measures.  

International activities
In its activities, the department is well-networked on a global level, and particularly within Europe. Within the remit of the European Commission, the department is involved, for example, in the implementation of European health indicators (ECHIM, DG Santé) and in conducting the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS). At the OECD, the department is represented in working groups in the areas of healthcare quality, patient orientation, cancer treatment and mental health.