In 1923, the first Department of Occupational Hygiene was founded at the medical faculty of the Kharkiv Medical Institute (KhMI). A famous hygienist, Professor Ezro Moiseevich Kagan (1887–1948) was the founder of the department and its first head.

The department begins its work with the development of educational instructions for practical lessons, production of illustrated tools, creation of textbooks and training programs. The student training program developed by the department in 1928 was approved as a base for higher educational institutions of Ukraine. “Course of lectures” by Professor E.M. Kagan has been used for many years as a major publication for students.

In 1933, on the initiative of Professor E.M. Kagan, the All-Union Meeting of the Departments of Occupational Hygiene was held, where the issues of teaching occupational hygiene in medical and technical higher educational institutions were considered.

From 1938 to 1968, Z.D. Gorkin (1896–1970) became the head of the department. Thanks to the gained experience of scientific, educational and methodical work, continuing the traditions of the department, in 1940, Assoc. Prof. M.S. Karminsky together with Cand. of Chem. Science I.B. Kogan published the country’s first textbook for practical classes with students of the Sanitary-hygienic Faculty, edited by prof. Z.D. Gorkin.

In 1941, the successful and fruitful work of the team was suspended by the Nazi invasion, and the department together with the institute was evacuated to Orenburg.

After returning of the institute to Kharkiv, in the postwar years, the department employs Assoc.Prof. M.S. Karminsky, assistants A.P. Stepanova, O.P. Albytska, А.P. Mykhailovska, G.І. Yevtushenko, and later – A.A. Kryvova, А.L. Melnyk, А.А. Nakonechny, A.K.-M. Eyam-Berdiev. In 1945, O.M. Marzeev began work on the world’s first textbook on communal hygiene, which was published in 1951.

From 1951 to 1968, 13 dissertations were defended for the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences. The leading topic in this period was the study of the biological effects of ultraviolet radiation, which gained recognition in the country and abroad.

From 1968 to 1971 and from 1977 to 1993, the department was headed by prof. G.I. Yevtushenko, who was also the director of the Kharkiv Research Institute of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases. He became known in the country and abroad for his work in the field of studying the mechanisms of biological action of low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic waves.

In 1988, the Department of Occupational Hygiene was merged with the Department of Community Hygiene, Prof. G.I. Yevtushenko headed the new Department, and from 1993 to 1997, Professor V.I. Zhukov headed it. He initiated a new direction in scientific research of the department – the study of the mechanism of biological action on humans of polyesters and their impact on the state of water bodies.

The Department of Hygiene of Nutrition was organized in 1933, the first head was Assoc. M.Z. Lukyanovich. From 1971 to 1988, Prof. M.I. Ivashchenko was the head of the Department of Hygiene of Nutrition. In 1997, all departments of hygiene were merged into a single department of Hygiene and Ecology No. 2, headed by Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, a full member of the International Academy of Computer Science and Systems, Doctor of Medicine, Professor M.V. Krivonosov.

At the beginning of the 2007–2008 academic year, due to the reorganization activities that took place at the university, the department was merged with the Department of General Hygiene and Ecology No.1 under the name “Department of Hygiene and Ecology”. In May 2009, the Academic Council of the University decided to separate the department and in September 2009 the Department of Hygiene and Ecology No.2 was formed. Its head was I.V. Zavgorodniy – Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Member of the Board of the Society of Toxicologists of Ukraine, Chairman of the Expert Commission of KhNMU.

Under his leadership, scientific research in the field of theoretical and practical medicine was revived, including medical aspects of evidence-based medicine, bioethics, hygienic and environmental aspects of improving health care for the population of Ukraine.

The department actively cooperates with the Institute of Occupational Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, as well as with the specialized hygienic departments of O.O. Bohomolets National Medical University. Close international cooperation with the Department of Occupational Medicine of the Medical Faculty of the University of Otto von Guericke in Magdeburg (Germany) on the study of burnout in teachers, bankers and ambulance workers.

Today the department remains a leader in teaching and research training of highly qualified specialists, in recent years the number of disciplines taught for bachelors, masters, medical students, interns of medical faculties, for foreign students, listeners of cycles of postgraduate education has significantly increased. Teaching in English has been introduced at the department.