Saxony Faces a Funding Shortfall for Public Health Departments

According to the Greens, Saxony faces a funding shortfall for its public health service (ÖGD) next year. The reason is the expiration of a federal-state pact for this sector, for which no follow-up funding has yet been secured. The Green Party caucus in the state parliament had submitted a minor interpellation on this matter.

The pact was established in 2020—the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, 252 positions were created in Saxony—228 in the municipalities and 24 at the state level. “The new positions created in the public health departments will have to be financed by the municipal budget in the future,” the Ministry of Social Affairs stated in its response to the parliamentary inquiry. 

Greens: Public health departments are needed not only during pandemics

“A crisis-resilient public health service is not a temporary task. The heatwave of summer 2026 has once again shown that public health departments are needed not only during pandemics,” explained Green Party politician Thomas Löser. For example, during prolonged heat waves, they must protect particularly vulnerable people, advise institutions, and coordinate measures. The structures that have been established must therefore not be up for debate once the Public Health Service Pact expires.

Permanently fund positions and structures

Löser calls for permanent safeguards for the capacities that have been created. “The federal government, the state, and local governments must clarify how the positions and structures that have been created will be permanently funded. Simply passing the responsibility on to local governments does not create planning certainty. Saxony needs reliable funding for personnel, training, and digital infrastructure—and it needs it before the next crisis strikes.”

Löser also takes a critical view of the ministry’s response to the question regarding the necessary minimum capacities for pandemics, major outbreaks, or heat waves. “The state government expects public health departments to be staffed in a way that enables them to carry out their duties in compliance with the law,” the response stated.

Maintaining Structures for Crises on a Long-Term Basis

“A reference to existing laws does not answer the question of crisis preparedness. Staff and structures must be permanently maintained in case of a crisis,” Löser argued. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important effective public health departments are. “Those who wait until public health departments reach their limits to act are acting too late.”