Activities of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Arkhangelsk State Medical Institute during the Great Patriotic War

Relevance. The Great Patriotic War became a serious test for Soviet citizens, when the causes of high mortality were not only military actions, but also infectious diseases, the spread of which was facilitated by deteriorating sanitary and hygienic conditions. The aim of the study: to study the activities of the employees of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Arkhangelsk State Medical Institute in the fight against infectious diseases during the Great Patriotic War. Materials and methods. An analysis of archival documents, monographs, book publications, scientific articles and scientific bibliographic reference books related to the activities of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Arkhangelsk State Medical Institute in 1941–1945 was conducted. Results. It was established that the main infectious threats in the North of the USSR were pathogens of dysentery, typhoid and typhus. The activities of the department under the leadership of D.V. Nikitina's work included teaching advanced training courses for medical personnel of the Northern Fleet, providing medical care to infectious patients and the wounded, publishing information brochures, consulting work in hospitals, developing methods of sanitization, and adapting the educational process to military conditions. Conclusions. The multifaceted work of the staff of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Arkhangelsk State Medical Institute made it possible to prevent large-scale epidemic outbreaks in the Arkhangelsk Region and reduce the incidence of infectious diseases compared to other regions of the USSR, which is confirmed by statistical data.