Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA)

Role

The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) is a subcommittee of the Australian Health Protection Committee (AHPC). Its role is to provide leadership on the national coordination of communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control, and provides advice on public health actions to minimise the impact of communicable diseases.

Objectives

The CDNA’s objectives are to:

• define the strategic priorities for national surveillance programs for communicable diseases
• guide, inform and develop national policy, strategy and advice on the prevention and control of communicable diseases
• support and champion training and capacity building in communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control
• provide leadership for detection, investigation and control of multi-jurisdictional outbreaks of communicable diseases
• engage with a range of national partners, including the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to prevent and control communicable diseases.

Furthermore, during an emergency of national consequence, AHPC may task CDNA with providing advice on communicable disease and infection control aspects of the emergency. 

Members

The CDNA membership is made up of jurisdictional, government and regional, cross-committee and organisation representatives, as well as up to 3 invited experts with skills and relevant expertise in the public health and communicable diseases fields. See our members page for the list of current members.

Meetings

The CDNA meets fortnightly via videoconference to share and evaluate the latest information and developments in communicable diseases surveillance. The CDNA meets up to 3 times a year face-to-face and holds extraordinary meetings via videoconferences as needed.

Publications

See our CDNA publications page for links to CDNA documents.

Related committees or groups

The CDNA is a subcommittee of the AHPC. The AHPC endorses the CDNA’s annual work plan.

The CDNA has several subcommittees of its own:

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Incident Panel
• Data Management Committee (DMC)
• National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee (NAMAC)
• National Blood Borne Virus and Sexually Transmissible Infections Surveillance Subcommittee (NBBVSTI SSC)
• National Respiratory Infections Surveillance Committee (NRISC)
• National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee (NTAC)
• Polio Expert Panel (PEP)

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