Throughout history new pathogens such as HIV, SARS and pandemic influenza have emerged to challenge human populations. Core competencies learnt will include the different modes of transmission, surveillance systems, outbreak investigation, control methods using screening, pharmaceutical, non-pharmaceutical, quarantining and border control. Pandemic Influenza and SARS will be used to learn about preparedness and containment of diseases that have potentially catastrophic impact to the health and economic stability of the world. The impact of travel, refugee populations and internationally displaced persons on surveillance and containment of infectious diseases will be covered as well as modelling infectious diseases common to the community and healthcare settings and key concepts of cost-effectiveness analysis.