Communicable diseases notifications
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+ Source
NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System (NCIMS) and ABS population estimates (SAPHaRI). Health Protection NSW and Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.
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+ Notes
Data table: Age-adjusted rates were not calculable for illnesses in foodborne outbreaks and gastroenteritis in institution outbreaks. Data include all notifications in NSW regardless of place of residence. Cases with sex 'not stated' are included in the total. Rates were age-adjusted using the Australian population as at 30 June 2001.
Disease-specific data on notifiable conditions are reported by year and month of onset of illness except for tuberculosis, which is reported by year and month of diagnosis.
No cases of the following conditions have been notified in NSW since 1991: plague, diphtheria, granuloma inguinale, lyssavirus, poliomyelitis, rabies, smallpox, typhus, viral haemorrhagic fever, & yellow fever
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+ Commentary
Health protection involves the prevention and control of threats to health from communicable diseases and the environment. In NSW these functions are carried out by a range of groups, among them Health Protection NSW’s Communicable Diseases and Environmental Health Branches, the NSW Ministry of Health’s Population and Public Health Division, public health units, clinicians, Local Health District services, local government, other government agencies, and communities.
Communicable diseases are measured mainly through routine surveillance data, derived from notifications of selected diseases from doctors, hospitals and laboratories to public health units under the NSW Public Health Act 2010. It is important to note that the number of notifications reflects health care seeking behaviour and testing practices which may vary across NSW.
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- Communicable diseases
The NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System (NCIMS) uses an internal system of disease coding and does not use the WHO's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.
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- + Associated Information
- Key points: Communicable diseases
Surveillance reports for infectious diseases are routinely published and are available at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/reports/Pages/default.aspx.
- Introduction: Communicable diseases
Definition and burden of disease in Australia
Bacteria, viruses or parasites infect humans as a result of contact with other infected humans, animals or the environment. Certain communicable diseases are of high priority for health departments around the world, because they are highly infectious, can result in serious illness or death, or can be prevented by immunisation or other actions.
Only in the last 200 years or so has the germ theory and the importance of some of the most important yet basic public health measures, such as availability of running water and hand-washing, been recognised. The development of immunisation, first against smallpox, and later for a growing number of other diseases including diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and measles, led to massive declines in morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions.
The potential for serious outbreaks and emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases continue to present a challenge in public health and requires planning and constant vigilance. Each year, over 200,000 individual notifications of communicable diseases are reported in Australia. These trigger public health action so that cases are treated, the spread of disease is limited, the source of infection is removed or minimised, and outbreaks are controlled or prevented.
Public Health Act 2010
Under the Public Health Act 2010 (and previously under the Public Health Act 1991), laboratories, hospitals, medical practitioners, schools and child care centres must notify NSW Health of diagnoses of certain diseases. For some diseases a notification triggers a public health response by the public health unit, such as immunisation or prophylactic treatment of contacts. Notifications also provide valuable information that is used for planning and evaluation of prevention programs.
The number of notifications received for any particular condition is almost always an underestimate of the number of cases that actually occur. For a condition to be notified a patient must seek medical help, be diagnosed with the condition, in some cases must have the appropriate laboratory tests done, and then the diagnosis must be reported to NSW Health. Nonetheless, communicable disease notifications provide valuable information on disease patterns in NSW.
References
Public Health Act 2010. Available at: http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/inforce/e20f1d11-6a0d-ec9a-fe79-d31ae57c52c3/2010-127.pdf
- Interventions: Communicable diseases
Information on NSW Ministry of Health programs and policies is available at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/Pages/default.aspx.
- For more information: Communicable diseases
Useful websites
NSW Communicable Diseases Reports at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/reports/Pages/default.aspx
NSW Infectious Diseases at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/publichealth/infectious/index.asp
Australian Government Department of Health. National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. Available at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/cda-surveil-nndss-nndssintro.htm
Communicable Diseases Intelligence at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/cda-pubs-cdi-cdiintro.htm
Australian Bureau of Statistics at http://www.abs.gov.au
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare at http://www.aihw.gov.au
healthdirect at http://www.healthdirect.gov.au
Public Health Act 2010. Available at: http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/inforce/e20f1d11-6a0d-ec9a-fe79-d31ae57c52c3/2010-127.pdf
Public Health Act 1991. Available at: http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/inforce/f7a7888c-f539-65cd-a95f-c79011e01c8a/1991-10.pdf
Immunisation
National Immunisation Program Schedule at http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/content/national-immunisation-program-schedule
NSW Ministry of Health Immunisation web page at https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/pages/default.aspx