Challenges and prospects in research on military epidemiology

Epidemiology studies infectious diseases as primary objects,and has formed a scientific system.With the continuous expansion of the scope in epidemiological studies,the development of research methods and the mutual penetration of related disciplines,epidemiology gradually differentiates into many branches.Military epidemiology is just a branch which serves military health and prevention works with epidemic theory.Its study objects are the officers and soldiers in the armed forces,and its mission is to focus not only on peace time,but also on war time and fighting time to prevent from infectious diseases,or even to smash the enemy's biological war,which is basically different from the general epidemiology.In recent years,with the policy of reform and opening up,and owing to the improvement of people's living standard,the military has significantly improved its living conditions.Meanwhile,because strategic policy and military training has been updated technical difficulty and intensity in the army have been increased,and disease spectrum has greatly changed.And especially as the theories and methods of modern epidemiology have been introduced into the army,the military epidemiology has been rapidly developed and improved.In short,the military epidemiology has made great achievements in prevention and treatment of common diseases and frequently occurring diseases,in order to guarantee the military members' physical and mental health.In the study we review the challenges and prospects for military epidemiology.

Epidemiology studies infectious diseases as primary objects, and has formed a scientific system. With the continuous expansion of the scope in epidemiological studies, the development of research methods and the mutual penetration of related disciplines, epidemiology gradually differentiates into many branches. Military epidemiology is just a branch which serves military health and prevention works with epidemic theory. Its study objects are the officers and soldiers in the armed forces, and its mission is to focus not only on peace time, but also on war time and fighting time to prevent from infectious diseases, or even to smash the enemy＇s biological war, which is basically different from the general epidemiology. In recent years, with the policy of reform and opening up, and owing to the improvement of people＇s living standard, the military has significantly improved its living conditions. Meanwhile, because strategic policy and military training has been updated technical diff^culty and intensity in the army have been increased, and disease spectrum has greatly changed. And especially as the theories and methods of modem epidemiology have been introduced into the army, the military epidemiology has been rapidly developed and improved. In short, the military epidemiology has made great achievements in prevention and treatment of common diseases and frequently occurring diseases, in order to guarantee the military members＇ physical and mental health. In the study we review the challenges and prospects for military epidemiology