Chairperson and hon members, our laboratory services have always been world-renowned. We have successfully won the battle against polio through our comprehensive immunisation drive, spearheaded by the efforts of our laboratories. In recent weeks, especially in those provinces that were at the receiving end of the devastating floods earlier this year, we have seen an increase in malaria cases. Through our laboratory services we were once again able to establish that the DDT could be used to prevent an outbreak of malaria by spraying the homes of people most at risk from the malaria-carrying mosquitoes. I am talking about these two success stories because I believe that our success can benefit not only South Africa, but also our brothers and sisters in the region.
In the case of the polio vaccine, we are already sharing the fruits of our expertise with our neighbours. This Bill, in terms of clause 16, allows us formally and in a structured manner to render laboratory services to foreign countries. South Africa this year ratified the protocol on health in the Southern African Development Community. Almost all the articles of this protocol refer to how we in the region can better co-operate with one another to offer a full range of cost-effective and quality integrated health services.
This Bill brings into sharp focus how, through our new National Health Laboratory Service, we can assist ourselves and our neighbours in health systems research and civilian communicable disease control, and also in the control of HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted diseases, malaria and many other diseases. This Bill allows us to share our technical skills with our neighbours on the continent and throughout the world, and for them to share their skills, so that together we can better combat the old and the new diseases which confront our society every day.
The North West takes very seriously the responsibilities we have to the rest of Africa. We believe, like our President, that Africa's time has come to emerge from the scourge of disease that thas ravaged our continent for far too long. We believe that this Bill will assist South Africa's endeavours to make Africa disease-free. This newly structured National Health Laboratory Service will provide us with the tools to assist us in our own fight to overcome some of the worst diseases known to mankind. To a large extent we have succeeded in the urban areas, but our rural areas need an efficient lab service which will match the standards and quality of those in the most sophisticated urban areas. We know that this Bill provides the framework to bring about the standardisation and quality control needed in our country. The North West therefore supports this Bill with all its amendments, Madam Speaker. [Applause.]