Developing a much needed Spanish Public Health State Agency

The Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS) organised a working group with experts from different public health fields and its ten federated scientific societies. This group was entrusted with the task of preparing a report containing concrete proposals aimed at facilitating decisions on the design and functions of this new institution, from a scientific, technical and independent perspective, and based on the values and ideas that underpin public health.
The full report is available in English on the SESPAS website.
The Agency should be set up as a centre of excellence that strengthens collective public health intelligence in Spain. Its main objective is to lead and coordinate the qualitative and quantitative improvement of the essential public health functions assigned to it and the catalytic support to those implemented throughout the Spanish public health system.
The report proposes 11 key functionsfor the Public Health State Agency:

  1. Health surveillance understood as a comprehensive surveillance, based on the social determinants of health.
  2. Preparing the health system for public health alerts and threats.
  3. Support, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of public health strategies.
  4. Interaction and coordination with supranational public health bodies.
  5. Evaluation of policies and programmes with a public health impact.
  6. Participation as an expert and facilitator in the functioning of the Public Health Commission and the Public Health-related Papers of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (SNS).
  7. Advice and funding to facilitate innovative action in public health through programmes and interventions that can be carried out by regional and local administrations or their allied entities/collectives in society.
  8. Support and advice for communication strategy and response to demands or information needs in administrations and in society.
  9. Support and advice for communication strategy and response to demands and information necessities from the different administrations and the Spanish society.
  10. Development of training, career and public health research policies and priorities.
  11. Support and advice for decision-making affecting public health.
SESPAS believes that the creation of the Public Health State Agency is a unique to transform health policies, protect and promote population health. The Agency will support the effective development of the General Law on Public Health by applying its principles of equity and health in all policies, contributing to the reduction of health inequalities and to promote sustainability.