Santé publique France: Serving the Public

The creation of Santé publique France symbolizes the ambition of Marisol Touraine, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, to provide our country with a center of expertise and a benchmark institution dedicated to the health of the population. This vision is embodied in the law modernizing our healthcare system, enacted on January 26, 2016, which makes prevention the cornerstone of the French healthcare system and thereby brings about a genuine transformation.

"Creating Santé publique France means making a long-term investment in public health and striving to address the growing challenges facing our society," states Prof. François Bourdillon.

Santé publique France serves the public, from knowledge generation to preventive interventions or responses to public health emergencies. Its work is grounded in four core values: commitment to the public interest, equity for all populations, responsiveness and long-term sustainability, and innovation.

Santé publique France assumes the missions and responsibilities of the three health agencies (Inpes, InVS, and Eprus). This consolidation ensures the continuity of public health actions, ranging from population health surveillance to the implementation of prevention measures or interventions in the event of an exceptional health situation.

The agency’s missions are therefore:

• Epidemiological monitoring and surveillance of the population’s health status;

• Monitoring health risks threatening the population;

• Promoting health and reducing health risks;

• Developing prevention and health education;

• Preparation for and response to health threats, alerts, and crises;

• Issuing public health alerts.

Thanks to the complementary nature of its functions, it will be able to deploy innovative, proven-effective intervention strategies, as well as generate and strengthen knowledge in the field of public health. Santé publique France also operates within a globalized context where health crises are becoming more frequent. France, like many other countries, is establishing a leading agency of excellence—based on unquestionable scientific expertise and authority, linked to research—similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health England, or the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.