Cluster: Non-Communicable Disease

Relevant documents:

• South African National Oral Health Strategy (PDF)
• Norms, Standards and Practice Guidelines for Primary Oral Health Care (PDF)
• The Facts about Water Fluoridation
• Regulations on Fluoridating Water Supplies
• Cholera

DIRECTORATE: ORAL HEALTH

The Directorate: Oral Health ensures oral health service delivery through national promotion and prevention, policy development, setting norms and standards, planning, evaluation and research.

DIRECTORATE: CHRONIC DISEASE, DISABILITIES AND GERIATRICS

This Directorate is dealing with:

1. Prevention and management of priority chronic diseases in children and adults.

• Primary prevention of disabilities guidelines
• Rehabilitation policy development (not psychosocial)
• Support the supply of basic assistive devices
• Prevention and management of diseases/conditions of older persons
• Care of children with special needs (children with disabilities, on farms and in prisons)
• Prevention of blindness - focus on cataract surgery project
• National Cancer Control Programme

2. Highlighting human rights issues regarding older persons, persons with chronic diseases and people with disabilities within the health context.
3. Providing leadership and guidance to relevant stakeholders by influencing service delivery, academia and policy direction through consultation and research.

DIRECTORATE: COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL AND LABORATORY SERVICES

SUB-DIRECTORATE: NATIONAL HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICES

The Sub-Directorate : National Health Laboratory Services provide support and advice to the National Health Laboratory Services management and to ensure a proactive, appropriate, effective and acceptable standards of laboratory services in South Africa.

Core functions

Ensure an effective and efficient response by Department of Health to laboratory services of public health interest in South Africa through the following activities.

• Provide expert advice regarding laboratory services, blood transfusion and medico-legal services.
• Develop, formulate and maintain policy guidelines in respect of laboratory services
• Issue and control import and export permits for blood; blood products; human tissues; and microorganisms
• Facilitates the establishment of a good Quality Assurance system in all National Health Laboratory services
• Improve capacity for management of laboratory Quality Control and Quality Assurance in the NHLS
• Build capacity in preparation for Certification and Accreditation of laboratory in South Africa
• Develop Primary. Health Care laboratory package
• Ensure National Health Laboratory Service that will facilitate accessible, cost effective laboratory services.
• Promote and integrate laboratory service support on a regional, provincial, and national basis for improved disease surveillance and epidemic control.
• Develop regulations that will follow the promulgation of the Health Act
• Liaise with other government departments, relevant national and international organizations, neighboring countries and private sector.
• Harmonize laboratory services for health priority diseases e.g. TB, HIV/AIDS etc.

SUB-DIRECTORATE: VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES

The Sub-Directorate: Vector-Borne Diseases is responsible for prevention and control of specific Vector-Borne diseases and to ensure a pro-active, appropriate and effective response to these diseases in the interest of the public in South Africa.

Key areas:

• Responsible for control of the malaria vector and parasites.
• To evaluate policy and guidelines developed for the prevention and control of vector borne diseases.
• Designate yellow fever centres.

SUB-DIRECTORATE: EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES

The Sub-Directorate Emerging and Re-Emerging infectious Diseases plays a vital role in the prevention and controlling of outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases in South Africa.

Key areas:

• Develop, implement and evaluate policy guidelines on outbreak response and epidemic preparedness, diarrheal, haemorrhagic, and nervous system infectious diseases in South Africa.
• Co-ordinate and manage disease outbreaks through liaising with both the National and International stakeholders.
• Co-ordinate medical and systems training to the outbreak Response Team in the Provinces.
• Develop, maintain and update health information/promotion documents for health care providers and the public.
• Maintain and update the electronic Outbreak Response Network with Provincial Communicable Disease Control Co-ordinators and liaise with SADC Countries and International Agencies.
• Provide advice on Travel Medicine.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR VIROLOGY

The National Institute for Virology is a public health institute within the Department of Health.

The Institute provides:

• Comprehensive medical virological diagnostic services
• Reference virological services
• Viral surveillance and monitoring of specific diseases
• Quality control service
• Research on virological problems relevant to the population of South Africa.

In addition, NIV serves as a resource for diagnosis, reference and training for other countries in Africa and beyond. The Institute is part of the global network for poliomyelitis, influenza and measles, while the HIV unit vaccine, and the Special Pathogen s Unit serves as a World Heath Organization collaborating centre for viral haemorrhagic fevers and arboviruses.

STATE VACCINE INSTITUTE

The State Vaccine Institute produces intradermal BCG vaccine and anti-Rabies vaccine.

FORENSIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORIES

The laboratories are divided into four sections:

Toxigology section

Objective: To provide analytical support to forensic pathologists and other clients in cases involving toxic substances.

Functions:

• Analysis of human organs, body fluids and exhibits in order to assist in establishing the cause of death.
• Analysis of body fluids of patients in order to assist in diagnosis.
• Analysis of tablets and other exhibits.
• Supply statistical information to the Department of Health in respect to toxicology results.

Blood alcohol section

Objective: To provide scientific evidence in support of drunken driving prosecutions as well as to assist in establishing cause of death. Functions:

• Analysis of blood and eye-fluid samples (in certain cases on request urine samples, alcoholic beverages and cosmetics) for alcohol content (drunken driving and pot-mortem).
• Supply statistical information to the Department of Health in respect to blood alcohol results.
• Attend court cases, when subpoenaed, to give scientific evidence in support of results obtained.

FOOD SECTION

Objective: The analysis of food samples to control compliance with legislation.

Functions:

• Analysis of food samples to control compliance with the Foodstuff, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act.
• Participation in annual food sampling runs to assess specific problem areas.
• Participation in food analysis proficiency scheme.
• Education of Environmental Health Officers in aspects of the Foodstuff Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act.
• Participation in food control meetings by providing statistics of food analysis, assisting in identifying problem products and commenting on food legislation
• Assistance to public and food companies with enquiries on food related legislation.
• Analysis of food samples for pesticides and other agricultural chemical residues, to ensure compliance with local regulations.

Contact Details for Forensic Chemistry Laboratory

Contact Details

The rest of the staff complement is as follows:

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