- Recently,South Delhi Municipal Corporation(SDMC) has initiated the process to notify malaria as notifiable disease.
- A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities.
- This will allow authorities to gather information to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.
- The process will also help the government to keep track and formulate a plan for elimination and control.In less infectious conditions,it improves information about the burden and distribution of disease.
- The Centre has notified several diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, encephalitis, leprosy, meningitis, pertussis (whooping cough), plague, tuberculosis, AIDS, hepatitis, measles among others.
- The onus of notifying any disease and the implementation lies with the state government.Any failure to report a notifiable disease is a criminal offence and the state government can take necessary actions against defaulters.
- Further,the World Health Organization(WHO) International Health Regulations,1969 also requires disease reporting to the WHO in order to help with its global surveillance and advisory role.
