Law Summary
List of Notifiable Diseases
- The prescribed list includes diseases such as AIDS/HIV, Bronchitis, Chickenpox, Cholera, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, Diarrhea, Diphtheria, various heart diseases, Dysentery, Filariasis, Goiter, Gonorrhea, Viral Hepatitis, Influenza, Leprosy, Malaria, Malignant Neoplasms, Measles, Pneumonia, Poliomyelitis, Schistosomiasis, Syphilis, various forms of Tetanus, Typhoid, Tuberculosis (including TB Meningitis), and Whooping Cough.
- Diseases are identified using ICD 10 and ICD 9 codes to standardize reporting.
Reporting Obligations Under Republic Act No. 3573
- Any person with knowledge of a case of reportable or communicable diseases must immediately notify the nearest health station.
- Notification can be made via telephone, messenger, or written communication.
- Information disclosed must include the disease name and the name and address of the person afflicted.
Legal Rationale and Public Health Importance
- Immediate reporting enables health agencies to prepare for contingencies and prevent disease spread.
- The Secretary of Health holds authority to declare additional diseases as communicable and dangerous to the public health, thus requiring reporting.
Enforcement and Compliance
- Strict compliance with this reporting requirement is mandated.
- The directive is issued pursuant to Board Resolution No. 2424, series of 1993, and supported by DOH Circular No. 157-D, series of 1990.
- Compliance aids government agencies in disease surveillance and control efforts.