This module was developed at the School of Public Health, University for the Western Cape for the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health which was offered as a distance learning module between 2001 and 2008. It was designed to meet the growing need for an applied course in the measurement of a variety of health indicators and outcomes. Whether you manage a health programme, a health facility, or simply have to interpret health data in the course of your work, this module sets out to increase your capacity to deal with health and disease information. It aims to assist you in applying epidemiological knowledge and skills to a variety of Public Health problems such as:

• Is your DOTS programme succeeding?

• What does it mean if a TB prevalence is 850/100 000?

• Is this a Public Health problem or not?

• What is the “burden of disease” in different communities?