Priorities for communicable disease control in New South Wales, 2003.

The control of communicable diseases is a core function of government, which must be achieved through collaboration with clinicians, laboratory scientists, affected communities, and other government and community-based agencies. Changes in environmental and social conditions, and the development of new prevention technologies, influence the incidence of communicable diseases and the community’s ability to control them. The capacity of NSW Health to control communicable diseases also depends on maintaining a strong network of skilled public health professionals.