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The economy of Hungary is undergoing a major transition. The prevalence of behavioural and environmental risk factors is high. The population's health status is among the worst in Europe, and has declined in recent years. The Prussian-style curriculum in the medical universities was rigid and dictated from Budapest and Moscow. The teaching of public health was didactic, there was an emphasis on subjects such as dialectic materialism and hygiene. "Development of Medical Education for a New Public Health in Hungary", a three-year project funded by the European Community's TEMPUS program, is established to develop undergraduate and graduate education. It is a joint program between the five Hungarian medical schools and ten universities in Western countries including Canada. The reformation includes a shift from didactic teaching methods to problem-based learning techniques and greater emphasis on health promotion and population health. Communication within the project is facilitated through an electronic 'list server' based in London, Ontario.