Building operations have taken place in a number of phases simultaneously and this has unfortunately caused considerable operational disruption. However, the activities and the productivity of all sections of the Institute was little affected.
This year’s annual report reflects how the NICD has grown in leaps and bounds and now, indeed, does occupy the position of a major resource on the African continent for monitoring, training and research into the public health aspects of communicable diseases. The Institute’s laboratories, both virology and microbiology, are utilised extensively by global health bodies such as WHO for reference and for training as well as quality assurance programmes. Many of the Institute’s staff now serve as technical advisors and also on expert committees of WHO in a variety of the latter’s programmes. A number of collaborating research programmes are now underway with prestigious institutions and academia abroad and the Institute has also received a number of visiting scientists during the year.
The newest, and smallest of the divisions of the NICD, the Epidemiology Division has, in the very short time of its existence, taken vast strides in establishing itself as a particularly valuable resource to the country. It has assisted in several outbreaks including the avian influenza outbreak in the ostriches of the Eastern Cape. It has provided particularly valuable on-site training to rural laboratories on the laboratory support for the management of outbreaks and has been an invaluable resource for consultation for microbiological emergencies.
The NICD owes a deep debt of gratitude to its parent body the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) for the enormous support and encouragement as well as the considerable financial support that it receives from it. The support of the NICD by the NHLS has demonstrated that NHLS, in addition to providing the country with its diagnostic laboratory services, is also strongly committed to building capacity and research in communicable diseases in the interests of the country’s public health. The NICD is also indebted to the Department of Health for its continuing major material support of the Institute as well as a number of research organisations, both internationally and nationally.
The staff of the NICD have performed sterling work over the past year and the scientific productivity, as demonstrated in this years annual report, reflects this. A record number of 12 students from the NICD graduated with 2 PhD’s, 9 MSc’s and 1 FFPath through the University of the Witwatersrand. The laboratories maintained their excellent standard and were fully reaccredited by SANAS (the South African National Accreditation Standard).
I would again like to thank Ms Liz Millington for her excellent production of this year’s annual report.
BARRY D SCHOUB
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DIRECTORATE
Professor BD Schoub MB BCh MMed MD DSc FRCPath FCPath (SA) FRSSAf
Executive Director
I Latsky, Personal Assistant
D van der Sandt BComm (Hons) MBC, Corporate Services Manager |
