Epidemiology assesses the risk of exposure to a particular causal factor (such as polluted water, poor air quality, food deprivation, occupational hazards, or second-hand smoke) and its link to the magnitude or frequency of a particular disease occurring in a specific population over a period of time. As a tool, epidemiology has been instrumental in identifying, mapping and controlling existing and emerging diseases and in significantly reducing avertable morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological analysis contributes to the understanding of how ​‘development’ as a process is closely connected to the building of a ​‘healthy’ society, and in influencing the factors that impact health outcomes. In this course, we learn about the role of epidemiology in improving the health of human populations, along with basic epidemiological methods and their application. The course takes a hands-on approach and includes field work in which you can collect primary data for an investigation of disease.