Founded in 1985, the European Journal of Epidemiology is a forum on the epidemiology of communicable and non-communicable diseases and their control. The results of epidemiologic studies are essential arguments for action in the field of public health policies and efforts are made to bring the journal to the attention of public health decision makers. The journal is a source of material for those engaged in teaching epidemiology. The journal covers the different fields of epidemiology, a science which has always been multidisciplinary by nature: contributions are encouraged from the fields of public health planning and control, economy, preventive medicine, clinical trials, vaccinology, psychology, molecular biology, mathematical modelization and computer sciences. The journal presents original and review articles, brief reports and letters to the editor, Proceedings of relevant symposia and monothematic issues on topics of particular interest are occasionally published as supplements.