Annual Report 2005

Director’s report

A number of exciting and gratifying developments in the growth of the NICD have taken place during 2005. As a public health institution, the NICD can now truly claim to be a world-class facility which can make a very significant contribution to the progressively expanding global network of public health institutions. The NICD is well equipped to be able to supply both National and Provincial health authorities with important data on communicable diseases crucial to the prevention and management of communicable diseases as well as contributing valuable information to international health authorities on the status of these diseases in this part of the world.

During 2005, all the microbiology laboratories were finally re-housed at the Sandringham site, thus completing the integration of all components of the Institute. This occasion was marked by the unveiling of the NICD entrance wall by the CEO of the NHLS, Mr. John Robertson, on 24 November 2005.

Two important developments took place during 2005 which will greatly enhance the Institute's responsibilities for training and capacity building. Firstly, the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation, who have for decades been the cornerstone for funding the development of virology research and capacity building in South Africa, have generously donated funds for the construction of a training centre at the NICD. The NICD has for many years trained scientists and technologists from within the country as well as from outside our borders. Because of the lack of a dedicated facility, training has had to take place in functioning service laboratories and committee rooms and boardrooms have served as seminar rooms. The new training center which will comprise 3 training laboratories (microbiology, virology and molecular technology), 3 seminar rooms, a computer room and a 240-seat lecture theatre, will be known as the PRF Training Centre. Construction will commence January 2006 and should be complete by end of 2006.

A second important training development has been the approval by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA) to site a FELTP (Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme) at the NICD. The FELTPProgrammes which have been established in 33 countries throughout the world are modeled on the highly successful EIS (Epidemiology Intelligence Service) field epidemiology training programme of the CDC. The FELTP course will be a 2-year full-time experiential and didactic course at a master's level and will commence in 2007 for the epidemiology component and 2008 for the laboratory component. During 2006 several short courses will be given.

The staff complement of NICD has grown substantially and at the end of 2005 comprised 203 permanent staff and 93 funded by grants or student bursaries. Anumber of our laboratories and our staff received awards and academic promotions and they are heartily congratulated on their very fine achievements which have brought great pride to the Institute.

These include:

• The poliomyelitis laboratory of the NICD was presented with the WHO Task Force on Immunization (TFI) Award for 2005 at the 13 TFI African meeting held at WHO Regional office in Brazzaville. The inscription on the plaque reads:- !" for outstanding support to the Polio Eradication Programme in Africa.# The laboratory serves as the Regional Reference Laboratory for the African Polio Laboratory Network. NICD was cited as an excellent example of the commitment and success of the Network.
• Prof Maureen Coetzee was promoted to Research Professor, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand
• Prof Caroline Tiemessen was promoted to Reader, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand
• Prof Caroline Tiemessen also was awarded a Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellowship for 5 years for a project entitled !Innate and acquired cellular immunity in HIV-seropositive mothers and their infants#
• Prof David Lewis was promoted to Associate Professor at University of the Witwatersrand as well as adjunct member of the IIDMM (Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town) and also an Honorary ResearchAssociate at the University of CapeTown
• Prof Lewis was also appointed as the Regional Director for Africa of the International Union against STI's at the world IUSTI meeting in Bangkok in November 2005
• Dr Nelesh Govender of the National Microbiology Surveillance Unit was awarded the Coulter Medal for he Fellowship examinations in October 2005 (The Coulter Medal is awarded to candidates who obtain excellent results in the Fellowship examination of the College of Pathologists of South Africa.)
• Dr Tonie Cilliers graduated with a PhD in June 2005
• Prof Lynn Morris, Head of the HIV/AIDS Research Unit, chaired the 2 South African AIDS Conference, 2005
• Dr Anthony Smith, Senior Medical Scientist in the NICD's Enteric Diseases Reference Unit, was the winner of the Faculty of Health Sciences (University of the Witwatersrand) research prize for the best research publication for the year 2005 (carried out while he was employed in the NICD's Respiratory Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit)