[Contribution to the discussion: development and prospects of public health service in Bavaria--example: environmental medicine].

Some aspects of development in modern public health services are described by the example of their function in the fields of environmental and social medicine and hygiene. New public management and quality management are important factors in this development. For some parts of the public health services a renewed structure in organisation seems to be necessary. To give quality assured and evidence based advice to policy, public health services need cooperation with scientific institutes and other partners in the field of public health, nowadays just because of reduced resources.