title: [A Latin-American perspective regarding the past, present and future of epidemiology].
abstract: This article addresses three questions. Concerning the past, why was there no pre-Columbian epidemiology? What are the origins of modern epidemiology (including its South American roots)? A surrealistic title has been chosen regarding the future to emphasise the fact that making predictions is not easy. Why are complex phenomena the dark object of epidemiological desire?
authors.affiliation: Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, alfredo.morabia@qc.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morabia
mesh_terms: D004813:Epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America