[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58143-58144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23041]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Docket No. CDC-2012-0011]
Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (ITFAR): An
Update of 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), all
located within the Department of Health and Human Services, announce a
public meeting and opening of a docket concerning antimicrobial
resistance. The purpose of the meeting is twofold. First, the meeting
will provide an opportunity for public comment on progress made by
Federal agencies in accomplishing activities outlined in ``A Public
Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance (Action Plan)''.
Secondly, the meeting will solicit input from the public regarding the
Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (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 Thursday, November 15, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. After
welcome and introductory remarks, the meeting will be open for comments
from the public. The agenda is subject to change without notice.
Persons wishing to participate, including those who wish to make an
oral presentation, must register in advance and provide a copy of their
presentations by 12:00 p.m. EDT, Thursday, October 25, 2012.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Thursday, November 15, 2012
in Washington, DC. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and end no later
than 3:30 p.m. Written public comment will be accepted through 5 p.m.
EST, November 5, 2012.
Deadline for Registration for all Attendees: All attendees must
register by 12:00 p.m. EDT, Thursday, October 25, 2012.
Deadline for Requests for Special Accommodation: Special
accommodation requests must be submitted by 12 p.m. EDT, Thursday,
October 25, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Department of Health
and Human Services, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 800, 200
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20201. http://www.hhs.gov/about/hhhmap.html. Telephone: 1-877-696-6775.
Participants should be aware that the meeting location is a Federal
government building; therefore, Federal security measures are
applicable. Please see Building and Security Guidelines for additional
information on security requirements.
You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2012-0011 by
any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Marsha Jones, Office of Antimicrobial Resistance,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE.,
Mailstop C-12, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number. All relevant comments received will be posted
without change to http://regulations.gov, including any
[[Page 58144]]
personal information provided. For access to the docket to read
background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marsha A. Jones, Office of
Antimicrobial Resistance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop C-12, Atlanta, GA 30333; telephone
404-639-4111; Email [email protected].
Registration and Special Accommodations: Persons 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 or Participate in the Public Meeting 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 in recognition of the increasing importance of
antimicrobial resistance (AR) as a public health threat. The ITFAR
coordinates the activities of federal agencies in addressing
antimicrobial resistance (AR) and is co-chaired by HHS/CDC, HHS/FDA,
and HHS/NIH. Other HHS 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 of
Health (HHS/OASH). Non-HHS Task Force members include 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 AR.
This Plan, titled ``A Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial
Resistance'', outlined specific goals, actions, and implementation
steps important for addressing the problem of antimicrobial resistance.
Action items were organized into four focus areas: Surveillance,
Prevention and Control, Research, and Product Development. The Action
Plan and Annual Report are available at www.regulations.gov docket
number CDC-2012-0011. In 2012, a revised version of the Action Plan
addressing the evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance was
published. These background documents are also included in the docket.
2. Public Comment and Meeting
The public meeting process provides an opportunity for the public
to comment on the activities of the ITFAR to date. In addition, the
ITFAR invites written comments or oral presentations by 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 should be submitted following the
instructions provided in ADDRESSES.
Comments and suggestions from the public on the Annual Report or
any of the focus areas of the Action Plan will be reviewed and
carefully considered by the ITFAR. The public should be aware that this
meeting agenda does not include development of consensus positions,
guidelines, interrogatories, or discussions or endorsement of specific
commercial products.
3. Registration To Attend or Participate in the Public Meeting
Participants are asked to preregister to ensure sufficient space.
Seating capacity is limited to 200 persons. Those wishing to make an
oral presentation during the open public comment period of the hearing
should state your intention to present on your registration submission.
To register, please send an electronic mail message to
[email protected] by 12 p.m. EDT, Thursday, October 25, 2012. Your
email should include your name, email address, and a written statement
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 email addresses of all
participants. Because of time restrictions, the number of presenters
will be limited to the first 12 to 15 registrants submitting requests
to make presentations. The final number of presenters will be
determined by the approximate time requested by each presenter. If the
number and time requested for presentations exceed the time allotted
for public comment, the length of presentations may be limited;
registered presenters will be notified of the approximate time
scheduled for their presentation prior to the meeting. All other
comments may be submitted in writing following the instructions listed
in ADDRESSES.
4. Building and Security Guidelines
The Hubert H. Humphrey Building is the headquarters of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services and is located at the foot of
Capitol Hill at 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201. The
Humphrey Building 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, please take account of the need to clear security. All
visitors must enter through the HHS Hubert H. Humphrey Building main
entrance and 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 wristband 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: September 13, 2012.
Tanja Popovic,
Deputy Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012-23041 Filed 9-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P