[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 199 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63927-63928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26562]
[[Page 63927]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (ITFAR): An
Update on A Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial
Resistance
AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH)
announce an open meeting concerning antimicrobial resistance. The
purpose of the meeting is to present the annual report on progress by
Federal agencies in accomplishing activities outlined in A Public
Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance (Action Plan) and
solicit comments from the public regarding ITFAR activities including
the Annual Progress Report and the Action Plan. The meeting will take
place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, DC on Tuesday,
November 15, 2011 from 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. The agenda will consist of
welcome and introductory comments, a review of the Action Plan status
and plans to update it; and reports of the progress toward implementing
the Action Plan in each of the four focus areas: Surveillance,
Prevention and Control, Research, and Product Development. The agenda
is subject to change without notice. The meeting will then be open for
comments from the general public. Persons wishing to participate,
including those who wish to make an oral presentation, must register in
advance and provide a copy of their presentation by noon Tuesday,
November 8, 2011.
DATES: A public meeting will be held in Washington, DC, on Tuesday,
November 15, 2011. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and end no later
than 3:30 p.m.
Deadline for Registration for all Attendees: All attendees must
register by noon, Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
Deadline for Requests for Special Accommodation: Requests for
special accommodation should be submitted by noon, Tuesday, November 8,
2011.
ADDRESSES: Department of Health and Human Services, Hubert H. Humphrey
Building, Room 800, 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC USA
20201; http://www.hhs.gov/about/hhhmap.html. Toll Free: 1-877-696-6775.
Participants should be aware that the meeting is being held in a
Federal government building; therefore, Federal security measures are
applicable.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marsha A. Jones, Office of
Antimicrobial Resistance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop A-28, Atlanta, GA 30333; telephone
404-639-4111; E-mail [email protected].
Submission of Written Comments: Written comments and supporting
documentation can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via
regular mail to Marsha Jones, Office of Antimicrobial Resistance,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE.,
Mailstop A-28, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Registration and Special Accommodations: Individuals wishing to
participate or who need special accommodations or both must register at
[email protected] or by contacting Marsha Jones at [email protected].
See Registration to Attend and/or Participate in the Public Hearing for
instructions on how to submit electronic notices of participation.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
The Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (ITFAR) was
created in 1999 to coordinate the activities of federal agencies in
addressing antimicrobial resistance (AR) in recognition of the
increasing importance of AR as a public health threat. The Task Force
is co-chaired by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of
Health (NIH). Other Task Force members include the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS), the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA), and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Preparedness and Response (HHS/ASPR), the Department of Agriculture
(USDA), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In 2001, the ITFAR developed an initial Action Plan to combat
antimicrobial resistance. In 2011, a revised version of the Action Plan
which addresses the evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance was
published. This Plan is entitled A Public Health Action Plan to Combat
Antimicrobial Resistance and it outlines specific goals, actions, and
implementation steps important for addressing the problem of
antimicrobial resistance. Action items are organized into four focus
areas: Surveillance, Prevention and Control, Research, and Product
Development. The Action Plan and Annual Report are available at http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance.
2. Public Comment and Meeting
The public meeting process provides an opportunity for the public
to become aware of and comment on the activities of the ITFAR to date.
In addition, the ITFAR invites written comments and/or oral
presentations of interested persons on the Annual Report as well as the
four focus areas of the Action Plan: Surveillance, Prevention and
Control, Research, and Product Development.
Written comments regarding ITFAR activities including the Annual
Progress Report and the Action Plan submitted by e-mail should use the
following subject line ``ITFAR Comments.'' Written comments submitted
by regular mail should clearly identify ``ITFAR Comments'' as the
subject.
Comments and suggestions from the public for Federal agencies
related to the Annual Report and/or any of the focus areas of the
Action Plan will be taken under advisement by the Antimicrobial
Resistance Interagency Task Force. The agenda does not include
development of consensus positions, guidelines, or discussions or
endorsement of specific commercial products.
3. Registration to Attend and/or Participate in the Public Meeting
To ensure there is sufficient room we ask that you pre-register.
Seating capacity is limited to 200 persons. If you wish to make an oral
presentation during the open public comment period of the hearing,
state your intention to present on your registration submission. To
register, please send an electronic mail message to
[email protected] by the deadline listed under DATES. Your email
should include your name and email address. Please submit a written
statement at the time of registration, identifying each focus area you
wish to address and the approximate time requested to make your
presentation. Organizations should provide this information as well as
the names and e-mail addresses of all participants. Registered
individuals will be notified of the approximate time scheduled for
their presentation prior to the meeting. The time allotted for
presentations will be limited to 5 minutes. If the number of proposed
presentations exceeds the
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time allotted for public comment, opportunity for oral presentations
would be limited to the first registered requestors. All other comments
may be submitted in writing.
4. Building and Security Guidelines
The Hubert H. Humphrey Building is the headquarters of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services located at the foot of Capitol
Hill at 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20201. HHS
headquarters is served by Metrorail and Metrobus. The closest Metrorail
station is the Federal Center SW., station, which is served by the Blue
and Orange lines.
The meeting is being held in a Federal government building;
therefore, Federal security measures are applicable. In planning your
arrival time, please take account of the need to clear security. All
visitors must enter through the HHS Hubert H. Humphrey Building main
entrance and must present government-issued photo identification (e.g.,
a valid federal identification badge, state driver's license, state
non-driver's license, or passport). All persons entering the building
must pass through a metal detector. Visitors are issued a visitor's ID
wrist band in the main lobby and are escorted in groups of five to the
meeting room. All items brought to HHS are subject to inspection.
Dated: October 7, 2011.
James W. Stephens,
Director, Office of Science Quality, Office of the Associate Director
for Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-26562 Filed 10-13-11; 8:45 am]
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