COMMUNICABLE AND

NON-COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES
Dr.Sarkhell Araz
MSc. Public health/Epidemiology
Phd Public health
Object Lesson

1 A Public Health Approach

2 Define the common pathogens that cause communicable diseases

3 Compare between non-communicable and communicable diseases

4 Common Types of Pathogens

5 Chain of Infection
 Public health

Public health has been defined in different ways. In 1920, Charles Edward Amory Winslow said it
is “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and efficiency
through organized community effort … to ensure everyone a standard of living adequate for the
maintenance of heal”

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 Public health
Public health: is defined as the science and art of preventing diseases, prolonging life,
promoting health and efficiencies through organized community effort. It is concerned with
the health of the whole population and the prevention of disease from which it suffers.

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• “Public health aims to provide maximum benefit for the largest number of people.”

World Health Organization

 Public Health Key Terms
Clinical care: prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical
well-being through the services offered by medical and allied health professions; also known as health care.

Epidemic or outbreak: occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health-related

behavior, or other health-related event clearly in excess of normal expectancy. Both terms are used
interchangeably; however, epidemic usually refers to a larger geographic distribution of illness or health-related
events.

Health outcome: result of a medical condition that directly affects the length or quality of a person’s life.
 Fill in the blank with the correct answer.

A. groups of people B. individuals

groups of people
Public health aims to provide ___________________ with the
right to be healthy and live in conditions that support health.
 What is an outbreak?
Generally outbreak means a “sudden occurrence,” while in the epidemiological sense an
outbreak is defined as a sudden increase in the disease frequency, related to time, place, and
observed population.

Outbreaks can last for a few days, weeks or even several years

There are three types of outbreak an endemic, an epidemic or a pandemic.

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 What is an endemic?
Endemic
Endemic: A disease outbreak is endemic when it is consistently present but limited to a particular
region. This makes the disease spread and rates predictable. Malaria, for example, is considered
endemic in certain countries and regions.

Chickenpox is classed as an endemic as it occurs at a high but predictable rate amongst youngsters. Endemics
remain at a steady state, but do not disappear from a population.

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 An epidemic
What is an epidemic?
An epidemic will see a disease rapidly spread amongst a large number of people in a given population. During an epidemic the
disease will normally spread in two weeks or less.

An epidemic as an unexpected increase in the number of disease cases in a specific geographical area. Yellow fever, smallpox,
measles, and polio are prime examples of epidemics. An epidemic disease doesn't necessarily have to be contagious. West Nile
fever and the rapid increase in obesity rates are also considered epidemics. Epidemics can refer to a disease or other specific
health-related behavior (e.g., smoking).

There have been 14 epidemics since 2010, including the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which killed 11,300 people between
2013 and 2016.

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 What is a pandemic?
A pandemic

A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new infectious disease. It stretches over a larger area, infects more people
and causes more deaths than an epidemic.

In history there have been a number of devastating pandemics including smallpox, tuberculosis and the black
death, which killed more than 75million people in 1350.

In 2009 a pandemic of swine flu killed 14,286 people worldwide.

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 A Public Health Approach

Risk Factor Intervention Implementation

Surveillance
Identification Evaluation
 Three Core Functions of Public Health
Systematically collect, analyze, and
Assessment make available information on
healthy communities

Policy Promote the use of a scientific

Development knowledge base in policy and
decision making

Assurance Ensure provision of services to those

in need
Ten Essential Public Health Services

1. Monitor Health
2. Diagnose and Investigate
3. Inform, Educate, Empower
4. Mobilize Community Partnership
5. Develop Policies
6. Enforce Laws
7. Link to/Provide Care
8. Assure a Competent Workforce
9. Evaluate
10. Research
 Partners in the Public Health System

Clinical Care
Community Delivery System

Government Ensuring the Conditions Employers

Public Health for Population Health and Businesses
Infrastructure

Academia The Media

Disease
Any harmful deviation from the normal structural
or functional state of an organism, generally as-
sociated with certain signs and symptoms and
differing in nature from physical injury.
 DISEASE OR DISORDER
Abnormal change in the struc-
ture or function of an organ or
organ system

Acute Chronic
Temporary Long period of time
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN COMMUNICABLE AND NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

 Also called infectious diseases.

 Passed through direct/indirect contact
.

Non-Communicable disease

 Also called non-infectious diseases

 For example: Heart disease
NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Diseases that CANNOT Can affect any system

be spread from one in the body (circula-
person/thing to an- tory, nervous, respira-
other tory)

Diseases that are not

Can be treated but not
caused by pathogens
usually cured
(bad germs)
Causes Of Non-communicable Diseases

1. Hereditary-passed from parent to child

2. Environmental, Where you live –or work
- For example: Nuclear power plant
3. Lifestyle
- Poor health habits – tanning, smoking, drinking, poor
diet, lack of exercise and emotional stress.
Preventing Non-communicable Disease

• Have a balanced diet

• Get regular exercise
• Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs
• Regular check-ups can identify early warning
signs.
Common Non-Communicable Diseases

Cardiovascular • Heart Attack

Cancer disease • Stroke
Communicable Diseases

"Caused by direct or indirect spread of

pathogens (bad germs) from a person or
thing to another".
 Pathogens and Vectors

Vectors are disease-causing

Pathogens are disease organisms that carry
causing agents (bad pathogens from one host to
germs) another
Mosquitoes transmit malaria
 How diseases are spread
 Direct contact - touching infected area of person
 Indirect - sneezing, coughing, sharing personal items
 Contact with vectors (animals and insects) - bites
 Other contact - eating contaminated foods
 Site of Diseases Enter The Body

Eyes A break in
skin (cuts)

Mouth

Genitals

Nose
Chain of Infection
Add Text
Simple PowerPoint
 Disease Microorganisms (Agent):

55%
25%
10%

• These are the pathogens that

cause communicable dis- 35%
eases. Most commonly these
are bacteria, virus, fungi or
parasites.
Mode of This refers to the route by which the infectious microorgan-
isms escape or leave the reservoir. For example, pathogens
Escape: that cause respiratory diseases usually escape through the
respiratory tract (coughing and sneezing).

10%

20%

70%
Reservoir:
Mode of
The reservoir (source) is a host which allows the pathogen to live, and possibly grow, and
multiply. Humans, animals and the environment can all be reservoirs for microorganisms.
Escape:
Sometimes a person may have a disease but is not symptomatic or ill. This type of person is
a carrier and she/he may be referred to as ‘colonized’. Examples of reservoirs are standing
water, a person with a common cold or syphilis, or a dog with rabies.
10%

20%

70%
Mode of Transmission:
Since microorganisms cannot travel on their own, they require a vehicle to carry them to
other persons and places.

Mode of Entry:
The path for the microorganism to get into a new host (the reverse of the portal of exit). The
mode of entry refers to the method by which the pathogens enters the person.
 Pathogens Enter The Body By:
INHALATION
(e.g. respiratory tract)

INGESTION
(e.g. .GI tract)

• ABSORPTION BREAK IN SKIN

(e.g. mucous membranes of eyes) (e.g. needle stick, cut)

introduction by medical procedures

(e.g. catheters)
 Susceptible Host:

The future host is the person who is next exposed to

the pathogen. The microorganism may spread to an-
other person but does not develop into an infection if
the person’s immune system can fight it off. They may
however become a ‘carrier’ without symptoms, able to
then be the next ‘mode of transmission’ to another
‘susceptible host’. Once the host is infected, he/she
may become a reservoir for future transmission of the
disease.
BODY’S SECONDARY DEFENSES

Fever – the temperature of the body increases to slow

multiplication of pathogens
White Blood Cells – special cells that kill pathogens
Chemical Barriers – tears and saliva
Reflexes – blinking, coughing and sneezing
Prevention For Communicable Diseases

Wash hands
Cover mouth when sneezing or coughing
Proper care of food, don’t share food
Eat healthy and exercise to improve immune system
Shower daily
Prevention For Communicable Diseases

Wash hands
Cover mouth when sneezing or coughing
Proper care of food, don’t share food
Eat healthy and exercise to improve immune system
Shower daily
 Preventions And Control Of Communicable Diseases

1. Identification of a disease (clinical examination, epi-

demic laboratory investigation)
2. Isolation of infectious source.
3. Treatment of patients.
4. Early laboratory diagnosis.
5. Report (cases-epidemics) notification, registration.
6. Disinfection.
7. Immunization.
8. Epidemic observation.
9. Epidemic control.
10. Epidemic surveillance
Thank you