Berlin – September 13, 2026 -- Four of Germany's leading scientific and health organizations have issued a joint call for a cross-departmental national prevention strategy, warning that roughly 40 percent of new cancer cases remain preventable despite decades of research.
Four organizations unite behind a joint policy statement
The Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences, the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe) presented a shared statement demanding that prevention be embedded across all policy fields -- including education, labor, transport, urban planning, environment and social affairs -- rather than confined to the health ministry alone.
The statement frames prevention as an investment in health, workforce participation, economic output and the long-term financial stability of the healthcare system, citing demographic pressure and rising system costs as drivers.
DKFZ cites 40 percent preventable cancer rate as key data point
Michael Baumann, chairman of the DKFZ executive board, said current scientific knowledge indicates around 40 percent of all new cancer diagnoses could be avoided, yet Germany continues to fail at translating this knowledge into practice. "What each individual can do to lower their cancer risk has long been known -- we are failing to put this knowledge into action," Baumann said.
National Cancer Prevention Center positioned as blueprint for other diseases
DKFZ and Deutsche Krebshilfe are jointly building a National Cancer Prevention Center targeting this gap. Baumann said the center is designed to serve as a model applicable to other preventable widespread conditions, including diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease.
Four proposed measures target research coordination and health literacy
The joint statement outlines four priority actions: integrating prevention into all relevant policy areas; better networking of prevention research across disciplines, practice and government; establishing healthy living conditions as standard in daycare, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and elder care; and strengthening health literacy from early education through adulthood.
Leopoldina President Bettina Rockenbach said the factors that effectively promote health and prevent disease are well researched scientifically, but a coordinated implementation strategy is missing. Deutsche Krebshilfe President Rita Schmutzler called for binding political coordination on prevention, arguing that avoided cancer cases translate directly into preserved quality of life and life-years for millions of people. Wolfgang Wick, chairman of the Wissenschaftsrat, said Germany needs a health-oriented cultural shift that prioritizes prevention over treatment across all political domains, with health established as a binding cross-departmental policy target.
Parliamentary evening convened policymakers in Berlin on September 8
The four organizations presented their joint appeal at a parliamentary evening titled "Prevention in Focus -- Measures for a Societal Culture Shift," held in Berlin on September 8, 2026. Representatives from the federal government, the Bundestag, state governments, health self-administration bodies and the scientific community attended the discussion on how to achieve a societal shift toward preventive health policy.
The organizations argue that combining structural prevention measures with individual behavioral change would benefit not only public health outcomes but also Germany's broader innovation capacity and economic performance.