These problems cannot be solved by one sector alone. They require imaginative, complex and diverse solutions, and they cannot be resolved by the health care sector in isolation. To do something about these problems requires the involvement and cooperation of many different sectors of society; including local, regional and national authorities, as well as the public in general. They also require transnational cooperation and the sharing of knowledge across national borders.

Solutions must not only focus on risk factors, which have to be eliminated to avoid injury or illness, but also on positive factors that promote the health and well-being of individuals. We call a broad cross-sectoral effort like this “The New Public Health Effort”.