EPIDEMIOLOGY & PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES – GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS

Teaching her lesson "Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention - Global Public Health Threats" consists of lectures and tutorials. Attendance at tutorials is mandatory.

The elections develop the material described above.

MANDATORY ATTENDANCES – LECTURES No

Learning process support through the e-class online platform. Courses are delivered via computer.

Use of ICT (e-mail) in communication with Students. View educational videos related to the evolution of infectious diseases in developing countries.

Evaluation methods:   written individual work.

Students are evaluated by submitting a written paper related to international public health issues. The paper is submitted at the end of the semester. The assessment of the assignment determines the 100% of the student's grade.

The evaluation of the course and the teachers is carried out - at the end of the semester - through the completion by the students of a special questionnaire. Students are encouraged to express their opinions through the questionnaire both on the educational process of the course in question, and on any changes that are necessary in their opinion. Student responses are taken into account in order to make improvement changes.

Specific objectives

Specific objectives of the course are to provide students with the basic knowledge as well as an in-depth understanding of the epidemiology and prevention of communicable diseases with an emphasis on global public health threats. In particular, the transmission of knowledge will be sought regarding the main pathogens, endemicity, mortality, mortality, the pathogen's reservoir, incubation time and prevention and control measures (national and international). In addition, the context of the International Health Regulation in global health security will be analyzed.

It is also intended that students acquire skills in order to search and process critical bibliographic data.

An additional specific purpose of the course is - through the optional educational visit to a country on the African continent - the students acquire skills and experience in providing supervised medical assistance to residents of developing countries.

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• He has knowledge of the basic elements of the epidemiology of infectious diseases, the risk of their cross-border spread, as well as collective and individual prevention and control measures, including the International Health Regulations.
• Apply the principles of prevention and control of infectious diseases and adapt them taking into account given real conditions.
• He is able to distinguish the differences in the modes of transmission of infectious diseases, and the geographical variability in their appearance and prognosis, while he will be able to distinguish the degrees of effectiveness of the various applied preventive measures.
• He uses the knowledge and skills he will acquire in order to provide medical and counseling assistance in the context of supervised infectious disease prevention (vaccinations) to residents of developing countries.
• Critically analyzes the findings of studies on the epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases with an emphasis on global public health issues.
• Can search and interpret international literature in the field of epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases and global public health threats.
• May work with fellow students to provide field supervised medical and infectious disease prevention counseling to residents of developing countries.

General Skills

• Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information, using the necessary technologies
• Adaptation to new situations
• Decision making
• Autonomous work
• Teamwork
• Exercise criticism and self-criticism
• Promotion of free, creative and inductive thinking
• Work in an international environment
• Work in an interdisciplinary environment
• Generating new research ideas
• Respect for diversity and multiculturalism

1. Tzeni Kourea- Kremastinou. Public Health

2. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. David L. Heymann. 2015. American Public Health Association.

3. Arvanitidou-Variona. Hygiene and Epidemiology. 2023.

4. International health regulations (2005) – 3rd ed. World Health Organisation. 2016.
5. Norman Noah. Controlling communicable diseases. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 

–Related scientifically periodically: Emerging Infectious Diseases, WHO Bulletin, Epidemiology and Infection