Evaluation of the notifiable diseases surveillance system in South Africa

Abstract

In the battle against the scourge of infectious diseases, a robust system for disease surveillance is required. This is partly to provide early information when outbreaks threaten, so that they can be curtailed by intervention; and also to be able to monitor the effects of disease prevention and control measures. In addition, a good system of surveillance may be relied upon for resource allocation decisions and for targeting research into disease causation and control. Travellers (and those who give them medical advice) may have their own reasons to be interested in timeous and accurate surveillance information. It would also be useful to have a parallel system for surveillance of risk factors for infectious diseases (vectors, climate, social disturbances and so on).