Health Information Evaluation Epidemology and Research

Cluster manager, Dr L E Makubalo
Tel: 012 - 312 0774/5
Fax: 012 - 312 0503

The cluster consists of the following Directorates:

• National Health Information System - Dr SH Khotu
• Health Research Directorate - Ms Pakiso Netshidzivhani
• Epidemiology and Surveillance - Dr Thabang Mosala
• Monitoring and Evaluation - Mr Nhlanhla Ntuli

Relevant documents for this cluster:

• The Prevalance and Distribution of Malaria in South Africa - March 2008 [PDF]
• The Burden of Cryptococcosis in South Africa - February 2008 [PDF]
• National Hiv and Syphilis Prevalence Survey - South Africa 2005 [PDF]
• Monitoring and Evaluation of the Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, management and Treatment for South Africa - Training Manual for Facilitators - April 2005
• Monitoring and Evaluation of the Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, management and Treatment for South Africa - Training Manual for Participants - April 2005
• National HIV and Syphilis Antenatal Sero-Prevalence Survey in South Africa - 2004 [PDF]
• Monitoring Review Progress Report on the implementation of the Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment Programme - 2004 [PDF]
• Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment Plan for South Africa - 2004 [PDF]
• Health Indicators Update
• National Department of Health Strategic Plan, 2004/05 - 2006/07 - 18 March 2004
• Health Goals, Objectives & Indicators 2001-2005
• What you should know when deciding to take part in a clinical trial - December 2002
• Primary Health Care Progress Report - 2000
• What you should know when deciding to take part in a clinical trial as a research participant - December 2001
• Western Cape Newsletter On Acute Flaccid Paralysis (Afp) Surveillance - 28 June 2002
• Disease Surveillance Bulletin - January - July 2002
• Disease Surveillance Bulletin - January - June 2002
• Notifiable Medical Conditions 2003
  The reporting of specific medical conditions to health authorities is a statutory requirements, the regulations of which are outlined in the Health Act 63, 1977. The Act lists 33 conditions as notifiable. The main purpose for making diseases notifiable is to control those diseases that pose a danger to public health.Some of these have subsequently been sub-divided for practical reasons e.g Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) has been separated from other haemorrhagic fevers, resulting in 45 different conditions which the notification system covers.
  
  Notification data are currently collected via passive surveillance from both public and private facilities. Reporting occurs via routine surveillance for all notifiable conditions barring malaria. Laboratory confirmation occurs for babies and CCHF. Each local authority is required to submit weekly summaries of all notifications and deaths to the provincial department of health that in turn submit to the National office for processing and analysis
• DHIS Workshop Report
• National Health Care Management Information Systems Workshop Report - 8 May 2002
• Nkangala Health District Analysis including Expenditure Review - 2001/2002 Financial Year (Microsoft PowerPoint)
• National Primary Health Care Facility Surveys & Audit - 2002 (Microsoft PowerPoint)
• Towards and Integrated Child and Youth Health Management Information System - 19-21 June 2002 (Microsoft PowerPoint)
• Using Information for Management - 2001(Microsoft PowerPoint)
• Health Goals, Objectives & Indicators 2001-2005 (Microsoft PowerPoint)
• DHIS Workshop - June 2002 (Microsoft PowerPoint)
• National Report on DHIS Data: Gathering, Analysing and using information to accelerate PHC Delivery
• Vital Registration Infrastructure Initiative
• Telemedicine Project
• Statistical Notes
• The 1998 South African Demographic and Health Survey (SADHS)
• Protecting Efficient Comprehensive and Integrated Primary Health Care - September 2000
• Guidelines for Good Practice In the Conduct of Clinical Trials in Human Participants in South Africa - September 2000
• National HIV and Syphilis Sero-Prevalence Survey of women attending Public Antenatal Clinics in South Africa - 2000 

• National Health Information System

The National Health Information System functions as the secretariat of the NHIS/SA Committee. To this end the directorate:

• Organizes and coordinates the NHIS/SA Committee meetings (see under NHIS/SA), and all its sub-committees.
• Monitors and Evaluates NHIS/SA Projects:

NHCMIS

• Collects and collates provincial reports on the development of the National Health Care Management Information System (NHC/MIS).
• Develop and draft provincial NHC/MIS tenders.
• Coordinates and implements the Patient Administration and Billing System - PAAB (a government developed hospital information system) in provinces.

Standards

• Co-ordinates development of health standards for the public sector.
• Health Data Dictionary development
• Procedure codes for the Public and Private Sectors.

Vital Registration

• Heads the Vital Registration project with Home Affairs and Statistics South Africa - (births and deaths).
• Conducts training in Provinces
• Develops Advocacy Material for the Project
• Evaluates implementation

Telemedicine

• Heads the Telemedicine Pilot Project in South Africa
• Developing Telemedicine standards.
• Guides SADC Initiatives in Telemedicine

Geographic Information System
          Maintaining and upgrading of the Geographic Information System.

Departmental Web Site
         Heads the development of the Departmental Web site.

District Health Information System (DHIS / HISP).
         Co-ordinates and manages roll-out of DHIS

Information Centre
       Provides Information Service to the DoH and Public

Contact Details:

Director:   NHIS: Dr. S. H. Khotu Tel: +2712 312 0790/1 Fax: +27 12 3286299 Email: nhis@health.gov.za

Information Centre Tel : +27 12 3120807 Fax: +273264395 E-mail: hltinfo@health.gov.za

• Health Systems Research, Research Coordination & Epidemiology

The directorate is responsible mainly for the coordination of the research agenda for the country by taking a leadership role in establishing and setting guidelines for research ethics and priority setting. It is also responsible for maintaining public health surveillance systems including the Notifications, HIV surveillance, Maternal and Women's health and daily cholera surveillance. The major projects that it is spearheading are:

• National HIV and Syphilis Antenatal Sero-Prevalence Survey in South Africa - 2004 - PDF
• National HIV and Syphilis Antenatal Sero-Prevalence Survey in South Africa - 2003
• Summary Report National HIV and Syphilis Antenatal Sero-Prevalence Survey in South Africa - 2002 - PDF

This is a survey that is conducted among pregnant women attending public sector antenatal clinics. It is the cornerstone of the surveillance of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country and has been conducted since 1990. In order to augment data and information around HIV/AIDS the Directorate is currently initiating and implementing plans to extend the surveillance of HIV/AIDS and other STDs.

Maternal mortality Surveillance and Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Monitoring

The Directorate, in partnership with the Women's Health and Genetics directorate and the ministerial National Committee for Confidential Enquires into Maternal Deaths (NCCEMD), is responsible for the collation and management of the maternal death notification system. The Directorate also manages the TOP monitoring data.

Statistical Notes

Notifiable Medical Conditions

PHC Monitoring

This is a joint function of this Directorate and the Directorate NHIS.

Management and Coordination of health research and ethics processes

This function involves the development of policies for research and ethics management. The Directorate has recently released guidelines for clinical trials. Two Ministerial Committees on Ethics and Essential National Health Research (ENHR) have been appointed. The directorate plays a secretariat function for these committees.

Research Updates

• Volume 6: Issue No. 2, June 2004 - Facilty Research
• Volume 6: Issue No. 1, March 2004 - Child rape
• Volume 5: Issue No. 4, December 2003 - Cancer
• Volume 5: Issue No. 2, June 2003 - Drug abuse
• Volume 5: Issue No. 1, March 2003 - HIV & AIDS

Contact Details:

Director:
Ms PM Netshidzivhani
Fax: 012 312 0784
Tel: 012 312 0786
Cell: 082 566 9388
E-mail: netshp@health.gov.za
Room: 2819

Secretary
Ms MP Mazwe
Tel: 012 312 0995
Fax: 012 312 0784
E-mail: Mazwep@health.gov.za
Room: 2819

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