This course covers the following parts of the syllabus for the Faculty of Public Health Diplomate Examination. The full syllabus can be found here.
2. Disease causation and the diagnostic process in relation to public health; prevention and health promotion
b) Epidemiology of specific diseases (and their risk factors) of public health significance:
knowledge of the defining clinical features, distribution, causes, behavioural features
and determinants of diseases which currently make a significant impact on the health of local populations;
with particular reference to those diseases/conditions that are:
potentially preventable,
require the planned provision of health services at individual, community and structural levels,
c) Diagnosis and Screening
principles, methods, applications and organisation of screening for early detection, prevention, treatment and control of disease
f) Environment:
environmental determinants of disease;
risk and hazard;
the effects of global warming and climate change;
principles of sustainability;
the health problems associated with poor housing and home conditions, inadequate water supplies, flooding, poor sanitation and water pollution;
methods for monitoring and control of environmental hazards including: food and water
safety, atmospheric pollution and other toxic hazards, noise, and ionising and electromagnetic radiation;
the use of legislation in environmental control;
g) Health protection and communicable diseases:
definitions including: incubation, communicability and latent period; susceptibility, immunity, and herd immunity;
use and evaluation of national and international surveillance;
methods of control;
the design, evaluation, and management of immunisation programmes;
choices in developing an immunisation strategy;
the steps in outbreak investigation including the use of relevant epidemiological methods;
emergency preparedness and response to natural and man-made disasters;
knowledge of natural history, clinical presentation, methods of diagnosis and control of infections of local and international Public Health importance including: emerging diseases and those with consequences for effective control;
organisation of infection control;
a basic understanding of the biological basis, strengths and weaknesses of routine and reference microbiological techniques;
international aspects of communicable disease control including Port Health.