Introduction
Prevention and control of communicable diseases is one of the key objectives set out in the NWT Public Health Act and one of the primary roles of the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO). The guidelines in the NWT Communicable Disease Manual are intended to support the implementation of communicable disease prevention and controls pursuant to the NWT Public Health Act and related legislation.
The purpose of this manual is to ensure NWT health care providers and practitioners are familiar with the identification of and reporting requirements for reportable diseases legislated under the NWT Public Health Act. The goal is to provide guidance on public health management of cases and contacts, and to prevent the spread or outbreak of communicable diseases. This manual is not intended to provide individual clinical case management advice. See: https://ournthssa.ca/ or your authorities policies, procedures or direction for more information on individual care.
At this time, the NWT Communicable Disease Manual has been revised to include current best practices in an electronic format. Each chapter is searchable and downloadable either as an individual PDF or a landing page with NWT specific information that links to further guidance.
Health care providers and practitioners must routinely refer to the online manual to ensure they are accessing the most current information and CPHO reporting requirements. You can find each chapter under Diseases. You will also find relevant Clinical Practice Information (CPIs) and disease specific tools sub-bulleted under their respective disease.
For diseases that do not currently have a chapter posted please contact the Communicable Disease Control Unit for further direction.