The International Health Regulations, 2005 (IHR) and the National Health Act, 61 0f 2003 in South Africa require the rapid detection of notifiable medical conditions (NMC), as well as the prompt risk assessment, notification, verification and implementation of timely interventions.
NMCs are diseases that are of public health importance because they pose significant public health risks that can result in disease outbreaks or epidemics with high case fatality rates both nationally and internationally.
Identification of diseased persons and implementation of necessary public health actions to ensure that the disease is not spread to other people can control spread of infectious diseases within the population. Real-time surveillance and reporting NMCs provides an early warning signal and a window of opportunity to interrupt the disease transmission cycle.
Who should notify
The first health care professional to come into contact with a patient presenting with one of the prescribed NMCs is required by law to notify. This may include clinic personnel, infection control nurses, other hospital staff or private medical practitioners. Any member of the community aware of or who reasonably suspects that a person in the community is a case or carrier must immediately report this to the nearest medical health establishment for reporting of the NMC.
Which diseases to notify
Notifiable medical conditions have been sub-divided into two categories according to type of disease:
Category 1 NMC: Requires to be reported immediately using the most rapid means upon clinical or laboratory diagnosis followed by a written or electronic notification within 24 hours of diagnosis.
Category 2 NMC: Requires to be reported through a written or electronic notification, within 7 days of of clinical or laboratory diagnosis but preferably as soon as possible following diagnosis.
Reporting a Notifiable Disease during an outbreak
During an outbreak of a notifiable disease, report all cases electronically or by phone, email or fax. Daily reporting by health facilities should be maintained through an Outbreak Case Line Listing Form as well through the notification form (GW17/5) to the local health authority that must report to the provincial health officials and the National Department of Health.
How to notify
How to notify
- Electronically:
Electronic reporting via the NMC mobile or web based APP:
https://www.nicd.ac.za/nmc-overview/notification-process/
Paper-based:
- Complete the case-based form (GW 17/5)
- Send the NMC Case Notification Form to NMCsurveillanceReport@nicd.ac.za or fax to 086 639 1638 or NMC hotline 072 621 3805. Form(s) can be sent via sms, whatsapp, email, fax.
- Send a copy to the NMC focal person at Sub-District/District
Any person contracting a notifiable disease and then dies from the disease should be notified twice: first as a “CASE” and then later as a “DEATH”. This will ensure that when estimating the “Case Fatality Rate” (CFR%), all deaths in the numerator are also included in the denominator.
National NMC contact details:
Helpline: 072 621 3805
Fax no: 086 639 1638
Sms/whatsup line (for copy/photograph submissions): 072 621 3805
Email address: NMCsurveillanceReport@nicd.ac.za
List of Notifiable Medical Conditions
Category 1: Immediate notification (within 24 hours) of diagnosis
Acute flaccid paralysis
Acute rheumatic fever
Anthrax
Botulism
Cholera
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)
Diphtheria
Enteric fever (typhoid or paratyphoid fever)
Food borne disease outbreak
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
Listeriosis
Malaria
Measles
Meningococcal disease
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)
Pertussis
Plague
Poliomyelitis
Rabies (human)
Respiratory disease caused by a novel respiratory pathogen
Rift valley fever (human)
Smallpox
Viral haemorrhagic fever diseases
Yellow fever
Category 2: Notification within seven days of diagnosis
Agricultural or stock remedy poisoning
Bilharzia (schistosomiasis)
Brucellosis
Congenital rubella syndrome
Congenital syphilis
Haemophilus influenzae type B
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis E
Lead poisoning
Legionellosis
Leprosy
Maternal death (pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium)
Mercury poisoning
Soil transmitted helminths
Tetanus
Tuberculosis: pulmonary
Tuberculosis: extra-pulmonary
Tuberculosis: multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB)
Tuberculosis: extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB)