An apparatus (2) for carrying on the body of a user to generate a vacuum for medical applications, in particular, for the vacuum therapy of wounds on the human or animal body, has a vacuum-producing device and a vessel (10) that is disposable after use for receiving body fluids, in particular, wound exudates suctioned out of a wound, and with a connection (12) for a suction tube leading to the body for this purpose, wherein the vacuum-producing device is disposed in or on a first housing part (4) of the apparatus and the vessel (10) forms a second housing part (8) of the apparatus or is disposed in or on the second housing part (8), and the housing parts (4, 8) are separably fixed one against the other. The apparatus (2) has fastening means so that it can be worn and carried on the body of the user. The device is characterized in that the first housing part (4) is provided facing away from the body when the apparatus is carried on the body of the user (mobile operation) and the second housing part (8) is facing the body with both housing parts (4, 8) being essentially disk-shaped and lying one against the other in an essentially vertically oriented separation plane (14).