ZAMBIA NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE ACT

to provide for the co-ordination of public health security; continue the existence of the Zambia National Public Health Institute and provide for its functions; establish the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre; establish the National Public Health Laboratory; establish the National Public Health Emergency Fund; and provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

[30th April, 2021]

Act 19 of 2020,

SI 34 of 2021.

PART I
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Zambia National Public Health Institute Act.

2. Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

"authorised officer" includes-

(a) a person appointed as an authorised officer under section 10;

(b) an officer appointed under the Mines and Minerals Development Act;

(d) an officer appointed under the Animal Health Act;

(e) an officer appointed under the Environmental Management Act;

(f) an inspector appointed under the Public Health Act;

(g) a health inspector appointed under the Food Safety Act;

(h) a radiation safety officer appointed under the Ionising Radiation Protection Act;

(i) a person appointed under the Workers Compensation Act;

(j) an inspector appointed under the Energy Regulation Act; and

(k) an inspector appointed under the Local Government Act;

"bio-bank" has the meaning assigned to the words in the National Health Research Act;

"Board" means the Board of the Zambia National Public Health Institute constituted under section 5;

"Board Secretary" means a person appointed as a Board Secretary under section 8;

"Centre" means the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre established under section 12;

"Director-General" means a person appointed as Director-General under section 8;

"Examinations Council of Zambia" means the Examinations Council of Zambia established under the Examinations Council of Zambia Act;

"Fund" means the National Public Health Emergency Fund established under section 15;

"global health security" means an activity required to minimise the danger and impact of acute public health events that endanger the collective health of populations living across geographical regions and international boundaries;

"Institute" means the Zambia National Public Health Institute continued under section 3;

"Laboratory" means the National Public Health Laboratory established under section 14;

"legally disqualified" means the absence of legal capacity as provided in section 4 of the Mental Health Act;

"one health approach" means an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes;

"pathogen" means a bacterium, virus or other micro-organism that may cause disease;

"public health" means the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society;

"public health emergency" means an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition, caused by bioterrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or a novel and highly fatal infectious chemical or biological toxin agent;

"public health security" means an activity required to minimise the danger and impact of acute public health events that endanger the collective health of population living across geographical regions and international boundaries;

"rapid response team" means a technical team constituted to identify, investigate and control an outbreak before it can spread;

"school certificate" means a certificate awarded by the Examinations Council of Zambia to a candidate who passes subjects, in a grade 12 examination conducted by the Examinations Council of Zambia, that the Examinations Council of Zambia requires for the award of the certificate or its equivalent from an institution recognised by the Zambia Qualifications Authority;

"surveillance" means a systematic ongoing collection, collation and analysis of data for public health purposes and timely dissemination of public health information for assessment and public health response, where necessary; and

"Zambia Qualifications Authority" means the Zambia Qualifications Authority established under the Zambia Qualifications Authority Act.

PART II
THE ZAMBIA NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE

3. Establishment of Institute

(1) The Zambia National Public Health Institute established as a department of the ministry responsible for health is continued as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, capable of suing and being sued in its corporate name and with power, subject to this Act, to do an act and thing that a body corporate may, by law, do or perform.

(2) The First Schedule applies to the Institute.

4. Functions of Institute

The functions of the Institute are to-

(a) advise the Minister on matters and measures relating to public health security and global health security;

(b) co-ordinate multi-sectoral stakeholders for the purpose of monitoring, evaluation and addressing public health in order to support and conduct surveillance and disease intelligence;

(c) promote partnerships and collaborations among local, regional and international entities to address emerging and re-emerging diseases and public health emergencies;

(d) harmonise disease control and prevention policies, and surveillance systems among local, regional and international entities;

(e) establish, co-ordinate and maintain a national early warning and response surveillance platform to address a health threat and health emergency;

(f) support and conduct public health hazard mapping and risk assessment at national, provincial, district and sub-district levels;

(g) generate data to inform policy and public health security intervention programs;

(h) support and manage an integrated one health information platform in order to achieve a one health approach to public health security;

(i) contribute to capacity development and co-ordinate the public health workforce in order to enhance public health security;

(j) facilitate the accreditation of a public health laboratory by a competent authority;

(k) establish and manage the Centre and other emergency operations centres with relevance to public health;

(l) in collaboration with other institutions, assess the health damage resulting from an epidemic or natural disorder and provide support;

(m) serve as the national focal point for the implementation of the international health regulations;

(n) recommend to the Minister the declaration of a public health emergency and disease outbreak based on available public health data;

(o) support and co-ordinate rapid response teams in responding to events of public health security;

(p) conduct public health research;

(q) establish and maintain a bio-bank for pathogens and materials relating to public health in accordance with the National Health Research Act;

(r) establish and manage epidemic preparedness prevention control and management committees at national, provincial, district and sub-district levels;

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