Virology

National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a public national institute established in 2002 as a division of the National Health Laboratory Service. It serves as the country’s leading center for surveillance, diagnostics, and research on infectious diseases, supporting government policy, outbreak response, and regional health security across Africa.

Research reflects strong expertise in vaccine safety surveillance, pharmacovigilance, and signal detection, particularly during COVID-19. Work on hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, rabies, and wastewater surveillance highlights integrated laboratory and epidemiological capacity, linking genomic analysis, environmental monitoring, and national reporting systems to guide public health action.

Notable contributions include advancing wastewater based epidemiology, strengthening African vaccine safety collaboration, and documenting long term vaccine impact. The institute plays a central role in shaping immunization policy, antimicrobial resistance strategy, and regional preparedness, reinforcing its position as a continental leader in communicable disease control.