First published in 1973, this well-established textbook offers medical students and junior doctors a readable introduction to the principles of public health with special reference to the situation in the developing countries of the tropics. This fifth edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect recent advances in public health, while retaining the popular approach of previous editions in stressing basic principles illustrated by selected examples highly pertinent to the regions in question. Infectious diseases continue to feature strongly, and are grouped epidemiologically based on the mode of transmission and the public health approaches for their control. The fifth edition also features an expanded section on non-communicable diseases, including the global epidemiology of type II diabetes, chronic heart disease, and smoking-related diseases, with particular reference to the problems associated with their management in developing countries. Written for those studying in, or planning to undertake work in, developing nations, the new edition continues to recognise the wide diversity in the situations seen in different countries and concentrates on delivering basic principles that can readily be adapted to local conditions.