MRCP PACES The Infectious Diseases Act
  • Requires every medical practitioner to notify MOH of an infectious disease within a prescribed duration
    • Within 24 hours:
      • Avian influenza
      • Campylobacteriosis
      • Chikungunya
      • Dengue fever / dengue haemorrhagic fever
      • Viral encephalitis
      • Hand, foot and mouth disease
      • Legionnaire’s disease
      • Malaria
      • Meloidosis
      • Meningococcal disease
      • Nipah virus infection
      • Paratyphoid
      • Plague
      • Salmonelloisis
      • Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS)
      • Typhoid fever
      • Yellow fever
    • Within 72 hours:
      • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
      • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (except from anonymous testing centres)
      • Tuberculosis
      • Chlamydia (only laboratories required to notify)
      • Genital herpes
      • Gonorrhea
      • Non-gonoccocal urethritis
      • Syphilis (latent, primary / secondary and congenital)
      • Leprosy
  • Control of AIDS and HIV infection
    • A person who knows that he has HIV shall not engage in sexual activity with another person unless
      • He has informed the other person of the risk of contracting HIV, and
      • The other person voluntarily agrees to accept that risk
    • If a person has reason to believe that he is at risk of having been exposed, the above applies as well, unless a serological test has been carried out and shows he is not infected with HIV
    • Any person contravening either of the above is guilty of a criminal offence
    • For the purposes of this, a person is deemed to know that he has HIV if he has undergone a HIV test and the positive result has been communicated to him.
    • Any HIV positive person is ineligible for blood donation in Singapore
    • Medical professionals may not disclose a patient’s HIV status unless:
      • The patient has given permission to do so
      • When necessary under the ID Act
      • When ordered to do so by a court
      • To any medical practitioner or health staff involved in the treatment of the patient
      • To any body organ donation centre which is a recipient of the patient’s bodily fluids
      • To the victim of a sexual assault by the patient
      • To the Controller of Immigration under the Immigration Act
      • To the next-of-kin upon the death of the patient
      • When authorized by the Minister for public health or public safety reasons
    • Any other disclosure is an offence under the ID Act
    • Medical professionals may disclose information regarding any patient he believes is infected with HIV to the spouse, former spouse or other contact of the infected person only if:
      • He reasonably believes that it is medically-appropriate, and that there is significant risk to the contact of the patient
      • He has counselled the infected patient regarding the need to notify his contacts; and
      • He has informed that infected patient of his intention to notify the patient’s contacts
    • Contacts who have been told of a patient’s HIV status under this Act are not allowed to disclose this information to anyone else
    • Any person who has HIV is a prohibited immigrant and must be deported within two weeks of confirmatory diagnosis. They will only be allowed back into Singapore for medical treatment, and only for three days at a time.
  • Vaccination
    • The ID Act requires every child in Singapore to be vaccinated against measles and diphtheria
    • Allows the Minister to order mandatory vaccination of at-risk persons during disease outbreaks
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