—from Epidemiological Bulletin, Vol. 24 No. 2, June 2003—
Modules of Principles of Epidemiology for the Control of Diseases,
Second Edition (Spanish Version)
Since its original production in 1980, the Modules of Principles
of Epidemiology for the Control of Diseases (MOPECE for its Spanish name) have
circulated widely in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French-speaking countries
of the Americas. They have become a recognized tool for training local health
teams in basic epidemiology for the control of health problems.
The last quarter of the 20th century has been a time of rapid
development for epidemiology as a basic scientific discipline of public health.
This development has been accompanied by an intense effort of dissemination
of knowledge through the production of epidemiological research and increased
availability of epidemiology textbooks. The redefinition of the structure, functions,
and role of epidemiology units within the Ministries of Public Health in Latin
America and the Caribbean – in particular the operation of surveillance
systems, in-service training, health situation analysis, and the definition
of health measures – has gained greater importance within plans of institution
strengthening.
For the above reasons, the need was expressed for reviewing the
contents of the MOPECE, in light of changes that have occurred in the theory
and practice of public health in the Americas, and stimulated by the continuous
demand for MOPECE in countries of the Region.
Numerous health professionals with teaching and health service
experience in epidemiology and other disciplines participated in the process
of review of the MOPECE, led by the Special Program for Health Analysis (SHA)
[since March 2003, the Area of Health Analysis and Information Systems (AIS)],
and with the technical cooperation of PAHO’s Regional Programs of Human
Resources Development (HSR) [now the Unit of Human Resources Development (HR)]
and Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases (HCT) [now the Unit of Communicable
Diseases (CD)]. For now, the new edition is only available in Spanish, and
the French version is under review.
In this second edition, special emphasis has been placed on preserving
the nature and structure of the original edition. This edition continues to
be a training tool in basic epidemiology, directed to professionals in local
teams and health networks, and oriented to the use of epidemiology in the management
of health services, with the specific aim at facilitating the implementation
of practical responses to daily health problems in communities.
The objectives of the MOPECE are:
– To support the training of professional staff and local health teams
in the systematic application of concepts, methods, techniques, and the basic
epidemiologic approach for the control of diseases and health problems in populations.
– To provide the “common language” necessary for the development
of networks of communication and information in epidemiology among local multidisciplinary
health teams, including the operation of interconnected public health surveillance
systems.
– To strengthen the capacity of local health services for timely and efficient
organization and response to epidemiological alert situations.
– To promote the development and strengthening of the epidemiological practice
in local health management in terms of analytical and resolution capabilities.
MOPECE–Second edition is organized in the following six modular
units:
Unit 1: Presentation and conceptual framework
Unit 2: Health and disease in the population, which describes
the population dimension of concepts, methods, and applications of epidemiology
as a basic public health discipline.
Unit 3: Measurement of the health and disease conditions in the population,
which describes the basic elements of the quantification process for the analysis
of population health problems.
Unit 4: Surveillance in public health, which describes and updates
elements, approaches, and uses of surveillance as a basic epidemiological activity.
Unit 5: Epidemiologic field study. Application to the study of outbreaks,
which describes the guidelines for epidemiologic field investigation and its
use in the study of outbreaks from an operational standpoint at the local level.
Unit 6: Disease control in the population, which presents how
the measurement, surveillance, and systematic analysis of health conditions
in the population can lead to the identification, application, and evaluation,
at the local level, of effective and appropriate control measures, and of other
interventions.
MOPECE was designed to be applied within the framework of a training
workshop and this orientation was maintained in the Second Edition. Accordingly,
MOPECE–Second edition is not a textbook, but an educational material to
be used in a workshop. The workshop should be understood as a collective training
experience in applied epidemiology, in person and of a participatory nature.
The principal recipients are professionals from multidisciplinary health teams,
particularly if they constitute local health networks.
The MOPECE–Second edition includes a Facilitator’s Manual
with orientations for managing the specific working groups by modular unit,
responses to the quantitative exercises, a basic set of scientific articles
and technical reference documents.
This collection of materials and training options is available
as of March 2003 through PALTEX and its 580 points of sale.
For more information, comments and suggestions on the MOPECE–Second
edition, please contact: Pan American Health Organization, Area of Health Analysis
and Information Systems 525 Twenty-third St., N.W., Washington DC 20037-4649,
U.S.A., Fax: (202) 974-3674; e-mail: ais@paho.org
Return to Index
Epidemiological Bulletin, Vol. 24 No. 2, June
2003