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11 April 2013 Experts from 80 countries cite time-limited opportunity, endorse comprehensive new eradication strategy   Prof Shabir Madhi, Executive Director of National Institute of Communicable Diseases (South Africa), joined hundreds of scientists, doctors and other experts from around the world to launch the Scientific Declaration on Polio Eradication today, declaring that an end to […]

18 February 2013   The National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg has completed laboratory testing on specimens from a Free State Province man admitted to hospital last week with diarrhoea.   The preliminary tests showed that the diarrhoea was likely caused by a species of bacteria belonging to the same family of bacteria that

Each year on 4 February, WHO and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) supports Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. This year, WHO has featured an article detailing the comprehensive cancer prevention plan that was implimented in Cuba, following their reccomendations, that ensures universal

Professor Barry Schoub received the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognises an exceptional individual whose contributions to laboratory science have made a positive impact on public health. Prof Schoub, is the former Executive Director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and post retirement serves as senior consultant and

On December 4, 2012, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced an additional $11 million to provide up to 150 Xpert® MTB/RIF   instruments and 450,000 test cartridges in 14 high-burden countries across sub-Saharan Africa and in Burma.  The Cepheid Xpert® MTB/RIF assay is a new fully automated molecular diagnostic test for

Approximately 1,500 laboratory professionals, clinicians, programme managers, epidemiologists, researchers, students, and policy makers from around the world convened in Cape Town, South Africa from December 1-7, 2012 for the  first International Conference of the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM). Under the theme “Accurate Laboratory Diagnostics – A Pillar of Quality Health Care,” healthcare professionals and

On 3 December 2012, Roche Diagnostics and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced a public-private partnership to improve the capacity of laboratorians and strengthen laboratory systems in African nations highly impacted by HIV/AIDS. Valued at $10 million over five years, the goal of the partnership is to build institutional capacity of

PRESS RELEASE WORLD AIDS DAY – THE NHLS WAY 27 November 2012 – As the world commemorates World Aids Day on the 1st of December, The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) increases focus on research and diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. This has  led to many successes for the global war against HIV/AIDS. After many years of

In Response to The Minister of Health and his national TB Program Team; A team was developed within the NHLS to execute the National department of Health’s plan for a rapid Molecular diagnosis of TB: this is their story as written my team members. Click here