National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003)RegulationsRegulations relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions, 20171. Definitions |
In these regulations, a word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act bears the meaning so assigned, unless the context indicates otherwise—
means a person who is confirmed to be infected with a notifiable medical condition through laboratory tests or other medical procedures, but does not show any clinical signs and symptoms of the disease at the time;
"category 1 notifiable medical condition"
means a condition indicated in Annexure A, Table 1, that requires immediate reporting by the most rapid means available upon clinical or laboratory diagnosis followed by a written or electronic notification to the Department of Health within 24 hours of diagnosis by health care providers, private health laboratories or public health laboratories;
"category 2 notifiable medical condition"
means a condition indicated in Annexure A, Table 2 that must be notified through a written or electronic notification to the Department of Health within seven days of clinical or laboratory diagnosis by health care providers, private health laboratories or public health laboratories;
"category 3 notifiable medical condition"
means a condition indicated in Annexure A, Table 3 that must be notified through a written or electronic notification to the Department of Health within 7 days of diagnosis by private or public health laboratories;
"category 4 notifiable medical condition"
means a condition indicated in Annexure A, Table 4 that must be notified through a written or electronic notification to the Department of Health within 1 month of diagnosis by private and public health laboratories;
"case"
means a person who is diagnosed with a notifiable medical condition either as a clinical case or a laboratory confirmed case;
"clinical case"
means a patient that presents with clinical signs and symptoms of a notifiable medical condition;
means a person who has been exposed to a notifiable medical condition but does not show any clinical signs and symptoms of the disease at the time;
"contamination"
means the presence of an infectious or toxic agent or matter on a human or animal body surface, in or on a product prepared for consumption or on other inmate objects, including conveyances, that may constitute a public health risk;
"focal person"
means a person designated in terms of regulations 4(2)(f), 5(2)(e) and 6(2)(e);
"IHR"
means the World Health Organization's International Health Regulations, 2005;
"ill person"
means an individual suffering from or affected with a physical ailment that may pose a public health risk;
"isolation"
means the separation of an ill or contaminated person or affected baggage, a container, conveyance, goods or a postal parcel from others in such a manner as to prevent the spread of infection or contamination;
"laboratory confirmed case"
means a patient with a notifiable medical condition diagnosed through a Department of Health approved laboratory diagnostic method;
"Medical Scheme"
means a medical scheme registered in terms of section 24 of the Medical Schemes Act, 1998 (Act No. 131 of 1998);
"national department"
means the national Department of Health;
"national (IHR) Focal Point"
means the national centre, designated by each State Party, which shall be accessible at all times for communications with World Health Organization's (WHO) IHR Contact Points under the International Health Regulations;
"notifiable medical condition"
means a medical condition, disease or infection of public health importance that is classified as notifiable in terms of regulation 12;
"outbreak"
means the occurrence of more cases of a disease than that which is normally expected, within a specific place or group of people, over a given period of time;
means the provincial Department of Health;
"public health risk"
means a likelihood of an event that may adversely affect the health of human populations, with the emphasis on one which may spread internationally or may present a serious and direct danger;
"quarantine"
means the restriction of activities and/or separation from others of a suspect person who is not ill or of a suspect baggage, container, conveyance or goods in such a manner as to prevent the possible spread of infection or contamination;
"surveillance"
means the systematic, ongoing collection, collation and analysis of data for public health purposes and the timely dissemination of public health information for assessment and public health response as necessary;
"suspect"
means "those persons, baggage, cargo, containers, conveyances, goods, or postal parcels considered by the a State Party as having been exposed, or possibly exposed, to a public health risk and that could be a possible source of spread of disease;
"the Act"
means the National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003); and
"WHO IHR Contact Point"
means the unit within the WHO which shall be accessible at all time for communications with the National IHR Focal Point.