Objectives

1. To provide accurate quality-controlled strategic information to clinicians and public health policy-makers to assist with patient management and health practice planning, implementation and evaluation for the infections under surveillance. Such strategic information includes:
• Estimates of disease burden
• Epidemiological trends
• Organism/ pathogen characterisation
• Impact of the Operational Plan for Comprehensive Prevention, Treatment and Care of HIV and AIDS in SA on opportunistic infections
• Impact of vaccine-preventable diseases
2. To identify areas of interest for further investigation from analysed surveillance data and to initiate and coordinate studies to address important and relevant research questions.
3. To provide key contacts for response to issues of public health importance.