Communicable Disease Control Branch

The Communicable Disease Control Branch (CDCB) is part of the Public Health and Clinical Systems Division and aims to reduce the incidences of communicable and infectious diseases in South Australia. The Branch comprises  of the following sections:

• Specialist Services 
• Antimicrobial Programs
  
• Sexually Transmissible Infection & Blood Borne Virus Section
• Disease Surveillance and Investigation
• Immunisation
• Infection Control Service
• Data and Corporate Services

Contact details

For further information on CDCB or to contact a specific branch within CDCB:

Phone: 1300 232 272

Email: HealthCommunicableDiseases@sa.gov.au

Fax: (08) 7425 6696

Postal address: PO Box 6 Rundle Mall SA 5000

What we do

Specialist Services Section 

• provide specialist medical and epidemiological advice on communicable disease control, surveillance and investigation
• liaison with laboratories, government agencies and professional groups
• responsible for areas including:
  • Rheumatic Heart Disease Program
  • SA Syphilis Register
  • the coordination of SA Health's management system for people whose ongoing behaviours are placing others at risk of HIV transmission. The process is detailed in the Chief Public Health Officer’s protocol the SA Code for the Case Management of Behaviours That Present a Risk for HIV Transmission (PDF 290KB) and summarised in a brief fact sheet (PDF 138KB) for staff and the general public.
    
• teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Antimicrobial Programs

• manages the National Antimicrobial Utilisation Surveillance Program (NAUSP) which conducts surveillance of antimicrobial usage in Australian hospitals.
• coordinates and administers the South Australian expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (SAAGAR) which develops guidelines and resources to promote the safe and appropriate use of antimicrobials.
• promotes safe antimicrobial use in the community through the production of educational resources for Primary School educators, interactive activities, and resources throughout Antimicrobial Awareness Week. Resources for consumers and healthcare providers are available on our Antimicrobial Stewardship page.
• co-ordinate the activities of the South Australian Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan (SAAMRAP) Steering Committee.
  

Sexually Transmissible Infection and Blood Borne Virus Section 

• coordination and administration of SA’s response to sexually transmissible infections (STI), HIV, viral hepatitis and related diseases through policy and program development, including the:
  • National Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategies 2018-2022
    • SA HIV Implementation Plan 2019-2023
    • SA STI Implementation Plan 2019-2023
    • SA Hepatitis B Implementation Plan 2019-2023
    • SA Hepatitis C Implementation Plan 2019-2023
      
  • South Australian Prisoner Blood Borne Virus Prevention Action Plan
    2017-2020
  • South Australian Aboriginal Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood Borne Viruses Action Plan 2020-2024
  • South Australian Syphilis Outbreak Response Plan
• administration of state government STI and blood borne virus (BBV) non-government health service funding
• monitoring of epidemiological developments
• promotion, funding and coordination of research activities
• administration of S100 accreditation systems for general practitioners who prescribe highly specialised medications for the treatment of HIV and hepatitis B.
• administration of the post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) system for people who are at high-risk of exposure to HIV
• coordination of the statewide Viral Hepatitis Nursing Model of Care Reference Group
• support the SA STI and BBV Advisory Committee, chaired by SA Health's Chief Public Health Officer, and its subcommittees.

Disease Surveillance and Investigation 

• responsible for the surveillance and investigation of notifiable disease reporting 
• monitoring of incoming data to identify trends and clusters of disease
• initiates immediate public health action to minimise the transmission of infectious diseases
• reporting to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System
• capacity for enhanced surveillance of food-borne disease in conjunction with OzFoodNet.

Immunisation Section 

• coordination and promotion of all funded immunisation programs in SA including:

Nationally funded

• • Childhood Immunisation Program
  • School Immunisation Program
  • Annual Influenza Program
  • National Shingles Vaccination Program
  • Expanded National Immunisation Program (10 to 19 years & Refugee/Humanitarian entrants)
  • New Arrival Refugee Immunisation (NARI) Program
  • Aboriginal immunisation recommendations
  • Medical at risk immunisation requirements
  • COVID-19 immunisation recommendations.

State funded

• • Meningococcal B Immunisation Program
  • High Risk Hepatitis B Immunisation Program.
    

• distribution of Commonwealth and state funded vaccines
  
• provide professional leadership for the immunisation workforce across all provider settings in SA, including online immunisation education programs and Clinical Advisory Service
• provide immunisation advice and information for members of the public
  
• vaccine safety surveillance.

See Immunisation and Immunisation for health professionals for more information.

Infection Control Service 

• monitor, control and prevent healthcare associated infections, including those due to multidrug-resistant organisms and other infectious disease in South Australian health care facilities
• provide best practice guidelines and advice on infection control to health care professionals and the general public
• provide education and information to health professionals, other government, non-government agencies
• provide advice, resources and fact sheets on topics related to healthcare associated infections, including health professionals and consumers (general public) 
• promote best practice and monitor compliance in the reprocessing of reusable medical devices.

Data and Corporate Services 

Data and Corporate Services provides support and administrative services to all sections of the Communicable Disease Control Branch including, but not limited to:

• IT systems support, database support and website publishing
• data entry, desktop publishing and general administrative services
• information distribution including public health alerts and promotional materials
• records and document management including mail and correspondence
• reception and switchboard services
• security and business processes
• HR assistance including forms, contracts, vacancy advertisements and recruitment support
• financial services including procurement, accounts payable and receivable, invoices, grants, journals, budget variations, reporting and financial monitoring.