The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is the national public health insitute for South Africa. It provides reference microbiology,virology,epidemiology, surveillance and public health research to support the government’s response to communicable disease threats.
The NICD is organised into functional Centres, bringing together expertise in both reference microbiology and epidemiology to enable an intergrated public health response to communicable disease threats.
The NICD primarily supports the programmes of the National and Provincial Departments of Health. As well as national support, the NICD also provides public health services such as collaborating laboratory or regional reference laboratory functions for global programmes of the World Health Organisation (WHO)
The NICD has established co-operatives agreements with partner national public health institutions such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and NIH/NIAID of the USA, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) of the United Kingdom, as well as other internationally recognised public health insitutions.
Jaishree Raman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
For a malaria vaccine to have an impact, health promotion is key. Awareness campaigns must address safety concerns and emphasise expected positive impacts.
Michelle J. Groome, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Juliet Pulliam, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA) , and Sheetal Silal, University of Cape Town
Repeated resurgences of SARS-CoV-2 transmission are expected in the years to come.
It is critical that the affected communities have access to safe drinking water.
Phill Magakoe /AFP via Getty Images
Juno Thomas, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Linda Erasmus, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
The displacement of people and overcrowding that often results from flooding provide optimal conditions for outbreaks of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness.
A man sprays the walls of a house with insecticide against mosquitoes.
Cristina Aldehuela/AFP via Getty Images
Shüné Oliver, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Basil Brooke, University of the Witwatersrand, and Givemore Munhenga, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Insecticide resistance is a growing threat to malaria control efforts globally. It is, thus, important to keep a close eye on vector mosquito populations in affected areas.
South Africa has mobile malaria border surveillance units working with communities and in highly mobile migrant populations.
Photo: Jaishree Raman
Jaishree Raman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
South Africa is one of the few malaria-endemic countries in Africa that did not see a major upsurge in malaria cases caused by COVID-related disruptions.
Mural en la avenida Haile Selassie en Nairobi, Kenia.
Boniface Muthoni/SOPA Images/LightRocket vía Getty Images
A pesar de la pandemia, las disparidades y las estructuras de poder desiguales en la salud mundial siguen intactas. Será difícil afrontar nuevos desafíos globales, como el calentamiento global, si no cambia el sistema.
Mvuyo Makhasi, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Cheryl Cohen, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and Sibongile Walaza, University of the Witwatersrand
This is not an alternative to traditional disease surveillance, but a complementary tool.
South Africans wait for a COVID-19 vaccine in December 2021.
Kim Ludbrook/EPA
Cari van Schalkwyk, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA) ; Harry Moultrie, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and Juliet Pulliam, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA)
At this stage, we cannot say anything about the severity of cases with Omicron - either in primary or reinfections.
Indoor residual spraying is one of the main components of malaria control.
Cristina Aldehuela/AFP via Getty Images
Jaishree Raman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Like the coronavirus causing the current pandemic, both the malaria parasite and mosquito vector are developing ways to avoid control.
C’est en séquençant le matériel génétique contenu dans des échantillons issus de personnes testées positives pour le coronavirus que les scientifiques identifient les nouveaux variants.
Lightspring / Shutterstock
Une nouvelle lignée de SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.529, a été identifiée. Baptisée Omicron par l’OMS, qui l’a catégorisé « préoccupant », ce variant a un profil génétique très différent des précédents.
Principal Medical Scientist and Head of Laboratory for Antimalarial Resistance Monitoring and Malaria Operational Research, National Institute for Communicable Diseases