[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]



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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]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P