The NICD will be a resource of knowledge and expertise in regionally relevant communicable diseases to the South African Government, to SADC countries and the African continent, in order to assist in the planning of policies and programmes and to support appropriate responses to communicable disease problems and issues.

The NICD primarily supports the programmes of the National and Provincial Departments of Health. As well as national support, the NICD also provides public health services such as collaborating laboratory or regional reference laboratory functions for global programmes of the World Health Organisation (WHO)