The Infectious Diseases Unit’s (IDU) activities between October 2007 and September 2008 included the National HIV Health Care Worker Hotline Call Centre; the International Centre for Equal Healthcare Access (ICEHA) Mentorship Programme; and the Advanced HIV Training Programme (Fast Track).

Microbial threats continue to emerge and re-emerge.

 Every eight months a new disease unknown to the world is diagnosed somewhere in the world.  In other cases, microbes are previously known pathogens that are infecting new or larger population groups, spreading into new geographic areas, or becoming resistant to drugs. 

 The FPD established its IDU, under Professor Anton Stoltz in 2004, in anticipation of the challenges associated with infectious threats in South Africa. The unit is a public-private-partnership with the University of Pretoria, AMPATH and the Foundation for Professional Development. AMPATH, as the pathology partner, complements and strengthens the unit by bringing a financial component, a national network of laboratories, and microbiological experts. 

The University of Pretoria registered the IDU as a new unit to comprise internal medicine, paediatrics, virology and microbiology.  The IDU is also registered with the HPCSA.

Read more about the Infections Diseases Unit