The Department of General Hygiene at Kharkiv University was founded at the Medical Faculty on February 1, 1873 and is one of the oldest. The founder and first head of the department A.I. Jacobiy (1827-1907) called his lectures, which were given at that time to students of Kharkiv University “Course of Public Hygiene”. The following list and content of the course of lectures convincingly testifies to a wide range of scientific, pedagogical and medical issues, which A.I. Jakobiy devoted considerable attention to:

1. Waste materials and their removal.
2. History of development of sanitary establishments.
3. Soil.
4. Climate.
5. Ventilation.
6. Artificial climate, housing.
7. Food.
8. Fasting.
9. Water supply.
10. Biology of the population.
11. Places of imprisonment.
12. Diseases from spoiled air.
13. School.
14. Training.
15. Disinfection.
16. Construction of the hospital.
17. Epidemics.
18. Sexual activity.

All of them were read at a high scientific level for that time.

Due to the purposeful activities of AI Jacobiy’s course of hygiene at Kharkiv University was formed as an independent subject of teaching, science and medicine.

Before the organization of an independent department of hygiene, the discipline was taught at other departments.

Since 1873 department was headed by Professor A.I. Yakobiy – 1873-1885 years; Professor I.P. Skvortsov – 1885-1905; Professor I.I. Kiyanytsyn – 1905-1908; Professor S.V. Korshun – 1908-1917; Professor J.M. Zilber – 1918-1922; Professor A.A. Tsvetaev – 1923-1925; Professor V.O. Uglov – 1927-1930; Professor V.O. Yakovenko – 1930-1941; Professor Z.D. Gorkin – 1941-1945; Professor M.L. Koshkin – 1945-1965; Professor M.P. Vorontsov – 1965-2002; Professor V.O. Korobchansky – since 2002.