An outbreak that is caught in its first days can be contained; one that is missed can overwhelm a health system within weeks. Despite real progress in disease prevention, infectious diseases remain, by the account of many health workers, one of the leading causes of death — which is exactly why epidemiological study and control still matter as much as ever. This Training Course in Epidemiological Surveillance for Infectious Disease Control from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy is built around that urgency.

Epidemiology is directly concerned with communicable disease and with any rising change in how often a disease or injury occurs, even where no direct infection between individuals is involved. Because infectious disease slows economic and social progress, and prevention efforts are themselves linked to economic and social conditions, the course equips participants with a modern, practical approach to the determinants of public health and to sound epidemiological planning.

Who Should Attend?

• Professionals working in epidemiology and related health fields.
• Managers and coordinators in microbiology, epidemic control and pest-control departments.
• Staff working in the environmental health field.
• Graduates of science and environmental faculties.

What You Will Be Able to Do

• Identify emergency indicators that signal a developing epidemic.
• Explain how infectious diseases spread, their relative importance, and who is most at risk.
• Determine the correlation between a suspected risk factor and a specific disease.
• Use feedback effectively within epidemiological surveillance.
• Apply methods for controlling the means by which disease is transmitted.

Module 1: Foundations of Epidemiology

• The objectives of epidemiology as a discipline.
• Common patterns and approaches used in epidemiological studies.
• How epidemiology supports the control of communicable disease.

Module 2: How Infectious Diseases Spread

• Diseases transmitted through air and through soil.
• Diseases transmitted through food and through insects.
• Sexually transmitted diseases and their specific control measures.

Module 3: Surveillance and Outbreak Control

• Recognising emergency indicators during a developing epidemic.
• Identifying correlation between risk factors and specific diseases.
• Using surveillance feedback to control transmission and limit spread.