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Aim. The authors introduced a new public health initiative in Bavaria. Subjects and methods. The initiative called Gesund.Leben.Bayern. (Healthy Living in Bavaria) applies a complementary promotion-prevention approach to the settings of daily living. The priorities for the Bavarian initiative are based on specific Bavarian epidemiological data and the Bavarian situation, and reflect WHO recommendations, including those contained in the World Health Report 2002. Results. The initiative includes four priorities for public cofinancing and recognition: freedom from tobacco smoke, responsible use of alcohol, availability and choice of healthy nutrition and sufficient physical exercise opportunities, and health promotion at the workplace. A specific aspect of the Bavarian initiative is the requirement for explicit evaluation, aiming at generating new evidence of adequacy, success and cost-effectiveness of different prevention and promotion approaches. First steps have been taken: gearing up for participation and shaping the strategy; setting up a programme secretariat; building criteria for evidence, self reporting and evaluation into the application form; gearing up for scientific support; and setting an example of good practice. Conclusion. Bavaria is embarking on an evidence-based, focused and participative approach to health promotion and disease prevention that aims at improving the participants' health and quality of life.

Scand J Public Health 2002; 30: 6± 11 Gaps in health between poor and rich countries, and between social groups within countries, are unacceptably large and may be widening. WHO has made the ght against inequities in health a priority in the European region, as part of the policy framework for health for all in the twenty-rst century (Health21 ), aimed at allowing all people to participate in social and economic life. It proposes a number of concrete steps, in order to promote access to health and reduce inequalities in health status. Equity should be everybody's concern, because inequities in health are everybody's loss. They harm many people, operate on a socioeconomic gradient, and put a strain on economic development and social cohesion. Equity is not something that is achieved once for all. A three-pronged approach to action includes: provision to all people of a``decent agreeing on policy choices, and reallocating resources and responsibilities accordingly; E learning and developing knowledge, and looking around and ahead.

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