COVID-19 vaccines have been topical and continue to raise several questions from the public, including when South Africa will receive vaccines, who it will be administered to first and why vaccination is important. To find out more about vaccination in general, COVID-19 vaccines and how South Africans will benefit, see the following frequently asked questions: GENERAL …
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The viruses and bacteria that cause the disease are spread through airborne droplets from a cough or sneeze. An infection can cause the lungs to fill with pus and fluid, making breathing and oxygen intake difficult. And while anyone can get pneumonia, children with weakened immune …
It’s time to go back to basics in the fight against childhood pneumonia Read More »
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) Prof Lucille Blumberg will receive an honorary degree (Doctor of Medicine) from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) for her lifetime contribution and excellent leadership in the early intervention, detection, control and surveillance of infectious disease outbreaks for over two decades. “I was overwhelmed,” she says. “This is …
Prof Lucille Blumberg to receive an Honorary Doctorate Read More »
The use of antibiotics is the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance around the world. Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs used in human medicine. However, up to 50% of all the antibiotics prescribed for people are not needed or are not optimally effective as prescribed. Antibiotics are also commonly used …
Here’s what you need to know about the use of Antibiotics Read More »
The National Department of Health is pleased to announce that on 17 September 2019 the WHO’s African Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) certified South Africa as a polio-free country. In a letter confirming this, the World Health Organisation says: “Following the recent ARCC verification visit to South Africa in August 2019 and the ARCC meeting held …
Sr JM McAnerney, Dr S Walaza, Dr C Cohen Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) As in other temperate Southern and Northern Hemisphere countries, South Africa experiences seasonal influenza epidemics every winter. Although the timing of the influenza season varies from year …
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is the national public health institute for South Africa. It provides reference microbiology, virology, epidemiology, surveillance and public health research to support the government’s response to communicable disease threats. Take a look at what Communicable diseases are, what causes them and how they are transmitted.
Vaccines are recognised as one of the most powerful tools in controlling and preventing infectious diseases. This despite strong anti-vaccination movements around the globe. It was with vaccine in hand that one of the most dreaded diseases of the last two centuries, smallpox, was eradicated. Likewise, the eradication of vaccine preventable diseases such as poliomyelitis …
Ebola vaccine is key in ongoing efforts to contain the DRC outbreak Read More »
August 10, 2018 Following the announcement of the end of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 24 July 2018 (see WHO press release: http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-07-2018-ebola-outbreak-in-drc-ends-who-calls-for-international-efforts-to-stop-other-deadly-outbreaks-in-the-country), the Health Ministry of the DRC announced a second outbreak of EVD within its borders on 1 August 2018 (see WHO website: http://www.who.int/ebola/en/ and http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/273640/SITREP_EVD_DRC_20180807-eng.pdf?ua=1). A …
Second outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Democratic Republic of Congo Read More »
Following the announcement of the end of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 24 July 2018 (see WHO press release: http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-07-2018-ebola-outbreak-in-drc-ends-who-calls-for-international-efforts-to-stop-other-deadly-outbreaks-in-the-country), the Health Ministry of the DRC announced a second outbreak of EVD within its borders on 1 August 2018 (see WHO website: http://www.who.int/ebola/en/ and http://www.who.int/csr/don/4-august-2018-ebola-drc/en/). A …
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