Epidemiology

Question 1

Define epidemiology and explain its primary purpose in humanitarian settings.

Answer 1

Epidemiology is the study of how diseases affect the health and illness of populations. Its primary purpose in humanitarian settings is to identify and control health problems to improve health outcomes.

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Question 2

Calculate the daily Crude Mortality Rate (CMR) given a scenario with population and death data. Is it above emergency thresholds?

Answer 2

CMR is calculated as (Number of deaths / Total population) x 10,000. It is considered above emergency thresholds if double of known or estimated baseline CMR.

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Question 3

Differentiate between incidence and prevalence using a brief example.

Answer 3

Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disease in a specific time period, while prevalence refers to the total number of cases (new and existing) at a given time. For example, if 10 new cases of flu occur in a month in a town of 10,000 people, the incidence is 10. If there are 20 total flu cases at the end of the month, the prevalence is 20.

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Question 4

Explain the concept of Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) and calculate it from a given dataset.

Answer 4

CFR is the proportion of deaths from a specific disease compared to the total number of diagnosed cases of that disease. It is calculated as (Number of deaths / Number of confirmed cases) x 100.

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Question 5

List the three key factors to consider when evaluating if an elevated mortality rate constitutes a public health emergency.

Answer 5

• The magnitude of the mortality rate * The rapidity of increase in mortality * The population affected and its vulnerability

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Question 6

Describe the systematic approach used in epidemiology and how each step contributes to understanding health problems.

Answer 6

The systematic approach includes: 1) Defining the problem, 2) Identifying causes, 3) Developing and testing interventions, 4) Implementing solutions, and 5) Evaluating outcomes. Each step helps to clarify the health issue and inform effective responses.

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Question 7

Compare and contrast endemic, epidemic, and pandemic in terms of disease distribution.

Answer 7

Endemic refers to a disease regularly found among particular people or in a certain area. Epidemic is when a disease spreads rapidly to many people in a specific region. Pandemic is an epidemic that has spread over multiple countries or continents.

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Question 8

Explain the importance of surveillance in epidemiology and describe its key components.

Answer 8

Surveillance is crucial for monitoring disease trends, informing public health responses, and allocating resources. Key components include data collection, data analysis, and dissemination of information.

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Question 9

Using the 5 W’s framework, outline how you would approach investigating a suspected cholera outbreak in a refugee camp.

Answer 9

• Who: Identify affected individuals * What: Determine the disease and symptoms * When: Establish the timeline of the outbreak * Where: Map the locations of cases * Why: Investigate potential sources and transmission routes.

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Question 10

Calculate an age-specific mortality rate from provided data and explain its significance compared to the overall CMR.

Answer 10

Age-specific mortality rate is calculated as (Number of deaths in a specific age group / Population of that age group) x 10,000. It provides insights into mortality patterns among different age groups, which can inform targeted health interventions.

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