Communicable Disease

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The Role of Public Health South
We provide a range of services to prevent, control and manage the spread of notifiable infectious diseases within the community. The Health Act 1956 requires certain diseases to be notified to the Medical Officer of Health.
 
We investigate both individual cases of notifiable diseases and outbreaks of disease.  This involves identifying the causative agents, tracing and screening of contacts and organising control measures to prevent the spread of diseases, including:
  • hand hygiene (washing hands for 20 seconds and drying for 20 seconds)
  • cough etiquette & social distancing
  • environmental cleaning
  • policies for sick people in workplaces and institutions
  • immunisation within high risk groups and target populations. 
We  provide education to reduce potential health risks to a wide range of people, including those involved in the following high risk scenarios:
  • food handlers
  • children under five years of age attending day care
  • healthcare workers
We provide a regional Communicable Disease Programme within Otago and Southland, with staff based in Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill. Medical Officers of Health, Health Protection Officers, Communicable Disease and Public Health Nurses and Communicable Disease Clerks work in the Communicable Disease Programme
 
Notifiable diseases
We work with a range of organisations and groups to manage the spread of notifiable disease, including:
  • other public health units within New Zealand
  • the Ministry of Health
  • local communities
  • the media
The service also provides neonatal BCG vaccinations according to current eligibility criteria in addition to providing a variety of vaccinations to outside workplaces and institutions.  
Each month data on notifiable diseases for Otago and Southland are compiled and sent to the Insitiute of Environmental Science & Research.
Monthly notifiable disease data:
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