Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is Germany's national Public Health Institute. It is the central institution of the Federal Government in the field of surveillance, control and prevention of diseases and hence also of application-oriented biomedical research. A focal point is research on infectious diseases. Another core task is health monitoring, i.e. the regular analysis of the health situation in Germany based on large-scale population studies. With a view to new health risks, RKI has a central "antenna function" within the meaning of an early warning system. The scientific findings elaborated by RKI serve as a basis for health policy decisions. The Institute advises health policy and the expert public, more particularly the Public Health Service.
Experts from the Robert Koch Institute work regularly with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the European Union (EU) or in international teams investigating outbreaks of diseases. Members of staff of the Robert Koch Institute are represented in major international bodies, such as the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).