Diseases caused by infectious pathogens specifically bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi are the most frequent as well as the most life threatening health problems occurring in tropical countries, of these, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as well as malaria and pulmonary tuberculosis cause the highest morbidity and mortality in the tropics. Many other diseases have emerged, some of which cause epidemics further complicating the already worsened situations in resource limited countries. Bacterial and viral meningitis, yellow fever, rift valley fever and other viral haemorrhagic infections (Ebola and Marburg), and more recently in Kenya the swamp fever (leptospirosis) are among diseases increasingly becoming common causes of epidemics in Africa south of Sahara.
Lack of adequate personnel well equipped with innovative approaches in dealing with innovative approaches in dealing with such major communicable and emerging disease problems together with inadequate supply of the relevant equipment and material to fight epidemics further complicating the situation. The Master course in Tropical and Infectious Diseases is designed to build core Infectious Diseases Control teams consisting of physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, epidemiologists and biologists, capable of predicting disease outbreak, carrying out disease surveillance and controlling disease epidemics. The established core teams will be expected to work closely with the relevant government ministries to combat and control diseases. They will also be expected to work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other international agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) and other relevant organisations.