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Priority work areas

Timely exchange of communicable disease information

Regular fortnightly teleconferences are a core activity of CDNA as they allow valuable and timely exchange of information on the always dynamic pattern of communicable disease activities across Australia and the region. The fortnightly teleconferences also provide opportunity for the development of policy and guidelines on a broad range of communicable disease matters.

Special teleconferences are convened when events require an immediate response or a matter needs to be considered in more depth. For example, special CDNA teleconferences were called after the Bali Bombing (October 2002), for the response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (often daily teleconferences through March and April, twice weekly teleconferences continued through May and June 2003), and for the multistate hepatitis A outbreak (June 2003). Revision of the national surveillance case definitions has been achieved through special CDNA teleconferences.

Policy and developmental work is undertaken by CDNA as a whole and by a number of committees and shorter-term working groups that report through CDNA. Additional information about the current CDNA subcommittees is provided below.

View the CDNA Subcommittee page.

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Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
On 14 March 2003 the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert warning health authorities about a highly contagious form of pneumonia, known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Following the WHO alert, an urgent teleconference of CDNA was convened and CDNA has continued to meet regularly (often daily) to review the national and global situation and to discuss and develop public health policy regarding SARS to ensure Australia’s preparedness. CDNA instigated active surveillance of cases, and with the Australian Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), issued health alerts to hospitals and general practitioners to heighten their awareness of people returning from affected areas presenting with symptoms of SARS. CDNA, with DoHA, developed, and continue to review infection control guidelines to prevent transmission of SARS within health care facilities, and workplace and school exclusion precautions for people returning from SARS affected areas. CDNA has provided advice to DoHA and other Commonwealth agencies on a range of SARS-related issues, including the content of Passenger Health Declaration cards and has assisted in the provision of access to health assessment at all international airports.

For more information about the Australian response to SARS, please refer to
http://www.health.gov.au/sars/index.htm

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National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS)
A major area of CDNA’s responsibility is the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, through which public health authorities in all Australian jurisdictions report on a common set of communicable diseases and pool data to allow effective national surveillance, outbreak monitoring and research. The DoHA manages this data on behalf of the States and Territories. CDNA is currently revising the surveillance case definitions used for reporting to the NNDSS.

For more information about the NNDSS, please refer to http://www.cda.gov.au/surveil/index.htm

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Management of Meningococcal Disease
Meningococcal disease remains a significant concern amongst the public and is a disease that needs careful public health management. A CDNA committee undertook a major revision of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s 1996 meningococcal guidelines in consultation with local and international experts in meningococcal disease. The “Guidelines for the early clinical and public health management of meningococcal disease in Australia” were released in September 2001, and will be reviewed by the CDNA Meningococcal Disease Committee. CDNA’s National Immunisation Committee oversees the implementation of the National Meningococcal C Vaccination Program and CDNA members report and discuss meningococcal surveillance data at their regular teleconferences.

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Infection Control Guidelines in the Health Care Setting
The CDNA Infection Control Guidelines Steering Committee has completed the “Infection Control Guidelines for the Prevention of Transmission of Infectious Diseases in the Health Care Setting”. This major document provides an updated set of standards on infection control for the health sector and involved detailed research on international standards, public consultation, the evaluation of numerous submissions from interested groups, and joint activities with other expert committees and individuals. The Guidelines have been endorsed by CDNA and NPHP and will be soon considered by AHMAC. The Guidelines should be published late in 2003.

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Communicable Diseases Control Conference
From 31 March to 1 April 2003, the CDNA and PHLN hosted the successful Communicable Diseases Control Conference in Canberra, “Communicable Diseases. A Fight We Can Win?”. The Conference was a forum for evidence-based discussion on communicable diseases considered to be under control (eg polio and measles); communicable diseases that are poorly controlled or re-emerging (eg pertussis); communicable diseases that are newly emerging (eg arboviral diseases and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome); antibiotic resistance; and the threat of bioterrorism.

As well as presenting an impressive array of recent research work from Australia and overseas, the conference provided an important opportunity for information exchange and networking between people in clinical, public health, laboratory, and policy roles. The next Communicable Diseases Control Conference will be held in 2005. To view the CDC 2003 Conference abstracts please go to:http://www.cda.gov.au/cdna/pdf/cdc03abs.pdf [PDF, 339kB]

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Subcomittees

• JEG - Jurisdictional Executive Group
• CDCCOC - Communicable Diseases Control Conference Organising Committee
• ICGSC - Infection Control Guidelines Steering Committee
• IGCAHRD - Intergovernmental Committee on AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases
• IPDSC - Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Steering Committee (also known as the Pneumococcal Working Party)
• MDC - Meningococcal Diseases Committee
• NAMAC - National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee
• NEPSS SC - National Enteric Pathogen Surveillance Systems Steering Committee
• NIC - National Immunisation Committee
• NSC -National Surveillance Committee
• NTAC - National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee
• PHLN - Public Health Laboratory Network
  

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