1. Basic concepts of epidemiology, hygiene and public health: concept of health; current epidemiological background and classification of diseases; concept of risk; indicators, exposure-effect, determinants of health and illness; primary, secondary and tertiary prevention
2. Methods in epidemiology: principal epidemiological study, measure of frequency and measure of association, bias and confounding, methods for confounding control.
3. Epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases: source and reservoir of infection, mode of transmission, risk factors; prevention (vaccination, passive immunoprophylaxis, chemoprophylaxis, disinfection and sterilization, surveillance and notification)
4. Prevention of healthcare-associated infections: hand washing, gloves, environmental control, healthcare waste management – basic concepts of environmental public health
5. Primary prevention during pregnancy: risk factors, focus on diet-related conditions (folate supplementation, diabetes, breastfeeding and childhood obesity), food safety; health education, methodology
6. Secondary prevention during pregnancy: screening; implementation criteria; pre- and post-natal screening programs (guidelines, effectiveness, appropriateness, bioethics);
7. Healthcare system: structure and sourcing, healthcare management (continuous quality improvement: accountability, needs assessment, case management, risk management, evidence-based practice – exercise: use of bibliographic databases)