Communicable Diseases

Details: This book was created for students of an online course from the Open University, UK. Anyone can take this course free online here: Free class in Communicable Diseases Creative Commons 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: HEAT)

Summary: Contents: Part 1 General principles, vaccine-preventable diseases and malaria Part 2 Tuberculosis and leprosy Part 3 HIV and AIDS Part 4 Other Diseases of Public Health Importance and Surveillance Description: Communicable diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi and parasites, make a huge contribution to the burden of disease, disability and death in low- and middle-income countries like Ethiopia. Six leading groups of infectious diseases (acute respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal diseases, tuberculosis, malaria and measles) together cause over 11 million deaths worldwide every year, and at least 1 billion people are affected by so-called ‘neglected tropical diseases’, including leprosy and schistosomiasis, and/or by intestinal parasites such as tapeworm and hookworm. Some communicable diseases are easily preventable through simple measures such as vaccination and changes in human behaviour (for example, handwashing with soap). This Module will help you to acquire the basic skills and knowledge to reduce the burden of mortality and morbidity in your community through the detection, prevention and treatment of common infections.