At the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), quality is not a compliance exercise; it is a strategic enabler of public health impact.

NICD serves as a national centre of excellence, delivering trusted laboratory results that drive critical decisions in disease detection, surveillance, outbreak response, and prevention. The credibility of this work depends on one thing: uncompromising quality.

An Integrated System Built for Impact

NICD operates a fully integrated Quality Management System that aligns laboratory science, surveillance, and operational functions into a single, coordinated framework. This system is designed not only to meet standards but to anticipate risks, drive improvement, and ensure readiness for emerging health threats.

Globally Recognised Standards

NICD laboratories are accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) to internationally recognised standards:

• ISO 15189 (Medical laboratories)
• ISO/IEC 17025 (Testing laboratories)

These accreditations ensure that NICD’s diagnostic and reference services consistently meet the highest levels of scientific and technical excellence.

Extending Quality Beyond the Laboratory

NICD’s quality framework extends beyond laboratory testing into broader public health systems:

• ISO 13485 certification enables NICD to play a national leadership role in the evaluation and post-market surveillance of rapid diagnostic test kits for HIV and syphilis, influencing procurement decisions and ensuring that only safe, effective products reach the public.
• ISO 9001 certification embeds quality across critical support functions, ensuring that key transversal departments operate efficiently, with accountability and alignment with NICD’s strategic mission. These include:
  • Biosafety and Biosecurity
  • Finance
  • Procurement
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • Communications
  • Surveillance Data Warehouse & Business Intelligence

From Compliance to Continuous Improvement

NICD’s approach to quality is proactive and data-driven:

• Risk management is embedded across all processes to identify and prevent failures early
• Continuous monitoring, internal audits, and management reviews drive improvement
• Quality indicators are used to track performance and strengthen decision-making.

Why This Matters

Every test result, every dataset, and every public health insight produced by NICD is backed by a system designed to ensure:

• Accuracy you can trust
• Timeliness, you can act on
• Evidence that informs national response

In a landscape shaped by emerging diseases and complex health challenges, NICD’s quality system is not just supporting the mission; it is enabling it.

Quality Assurance Manager

Henry P Julius
Tel:  +27 11 386 6095
Fax:  +27 86 776 4063
Email: henryj@nicd.ac.za