[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 137 (Thursday, July 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41695-41696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16790]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (ITFAR) Public 
Meeting

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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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, in 
collaboration with partner agencies, announce a public meeting 
concerning antimicrobial resistance. CDC, FDA, and NIH serve as Co-
Chairs to the Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance 
(ITFAR). The purpose of the meeting is to communicate the strategic 
direction of ITFAR in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, 
centering on current work and future direction in this area.

DATES: The public meeting will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building 
and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, on Thursday, 
September 4, 2014, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Deadline for Registration for all Attendees: All attendees must 
register by 12:00 p.m. EDT, Monday, August 18, 2014.
    Deadline for Requests for Special Accommodation: Special 
accommodation requests must be submitted to [email protected] by 12:00 p.m. 
EDT, Monday, August 18, 2014.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Ronald Reagan 
Building and International Trade Center, Horizon Ballroom, 1300 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20004; Telephone: 202-312-1300.
    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 information 
on security requirements. Additional visitor information is available 
at http://www.itcdc.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Gumbis, Office of 
Antimicrobial Resistance, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic 
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 
Clifton Road NE., Mailstop A-28, Atlanta, GA 30329; Telephone 404-639-
4000; Email [email protected].

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 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), the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 
Response (HHS/ASPR) 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

[[Page 41696]]

antimicrobial resistance. Action items were organized into focus areas: 
Surveillance, Prevention and Control, Research, and Product 
Development. The 2001 Action Plan was revised in 2011 and 2012 to 
address the evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance. A revised 
draft of the Action Plan is under development and will be available for 
public comment later this year.

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. The agenda will 
consist of welcome and introductory comments followed by sessions 
centering on specific topics in each of the three focus areas of the 
Action Plan: Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Antimicrobial 
Resistance; Research; and Regulatory Pathways to Promote Product 
Development. Each session will include presentations by the ITFAR 
members on the strategic direction of government agencies for that 
Focus Area followed by brief presentations from invited partner 
organizations. The session will end with a moderated question and 
answer session with the audience. The meeting will then be open for 
comments from the general public. The agenda is subject to change 
without notice.
    Comments and suggestions from the public on the ITFAR 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. To register, please send an 
electronic mail message to [email protected] by 12:00 p.m. EDT, Monday, 
August 18, 2014. Your email should include your name, and email 
address. Because of time restrictions, the moderated question and 
answer session with the audience and the time for comments from the 
general public will be limited by the time allotted on the agenda. 
However, additional comments may be submitted in writing following the 
public meeting; instructions for submission are listed in ADDRESSES.

4. Building and Security Guidelines

    The meeting is being held in a Federal government building; 
therefore, Federal security measures are applicable. In planning your 
arrival, please take into account the need to clear security. All 
visitors entering the Ronald Reagan Building must procede as directed 
through security checkpoints 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 
visitors entering the building must pass through a metal detector. All 
items brought to Ronald Reagan Building may be subject to inspection.

    Dated: July 14, 2014.
Ron A. Otten,
Acting Deputy Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2014-16790 Filed 7-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P