The impact of plague in Florence, 1630-1631, re-evaluating the evidence

Book synopsis: By their nature, diversity, social and cultural impact, epidemics have punctuated the entire history of humanity, they are a major concern for the present and remain a constant challenge for the future of human populations. Knowing the nature and history of epidemics, identifying the determinants of contagious and non-contagious diseases, and defining public health responses - this is the challenge facing researchers and policy-makers. The result of an international symposium organized in June 2016 by the Geneva Public Utility Society, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and under the high patronage of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the texts gathered here propose a critical analysis of the historical, current and future aspects of epidemics, in order to raise awareness of these issues among both decision-makers and the general public