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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14402-14403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6100]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2011-0002]

Draft Action Plan--A Public Health Action Plan To Combat 
Antimicrobial Resistance

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located 
within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is publishing 
this notice requesting public comment on the draft A Public Health 
Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance. HHS/CDC is publishing 
this notice on behalf of the HHS Interagency Task Force on 
Antimicrobial Resistance. The draft Action Plan and supporting 
documents can be found at http://www.regulations.gov.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 15, 2011. 
Comments received after April 15, 2011 will be considered to the 
fullest extent possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted to the following address: 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for 
Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Healthcare 
Quality Promotion, Office of Antimicrobial Resistance, Attn: 
Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan, Docket No. CDC-2011-0002, 1600 
Clifton Rd., NE., Mailstop A-07, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
    You may also submit written comments electronically to: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received will be posted publicly 
without change, including any personal or proprietary information 
provided. To download an electronic version of the plan, access http://www.regulations.gov.
    Written comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2011-0002 will be 
available for public inspection Monday through Friday, except for legal 
holidays, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, at 1600 
Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Please call ahead to (404) 
639-4000 and ask for a representative from the Office of Antimicrobial 
Resistance to schedule your visit. Comments may also be viewed at 
http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Wolf, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic 
Infectious Diseases, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Office 
of Antimicrobial Resistance; 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop A-07, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30333, (404) 639-4000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The HHS Interagency Task Force on 
Antimicrobial Resistance (hereafter referred to as the Task Force) 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

[[Page 14403]]

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The 
Task Force also includes 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), 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 Task Force developed an initial Action Plan, outlining 
specific issues, goals, and actions important for addressing the 
problem of AR. This document, entitled A Public Health Action Plan to 
Combat Antimicrobial Resistance, Part I: Domestic Issues, reflected a 
broad-based consensus of participating Federal agencies, which was 
reached with individual input from State and local health agencies, 
universities, professional societies, pharmaceutical companies, 
healthcare delivery organizations, agricultural producers, consumer 
groups, and other members of the public. Continued collaboration with 
these partners has been vital to achieving successful implementation of 
the Action Plan.
    This draft document, A Public Health Action Plan to Combat 
Antimicrobial Resistance, is a revision of the 2001 interagency action 
plan. The revised Action Plan provides an updated blueprint for 
specific, coordinated Federal action to address emerging threats in AR. 
The document covers a broad spectrum of AR issues, addressing 
resistance in a wide range of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and 
parasites) and settings (human medicine, veterinary medicine, 
agriculture, animal production, and others).
    The Action Plan includes action items organized into four focus 
areas: Surveillance, Prevention and Control, Research, and Product 
Development. The Action Plan contains specific action items, projects, 
and implementation steps. Wherever possible, action items are populated 
with specific projects or implementation steps to provide greater 
specificity for planned Federal activities. The action items, projects, 
and implementation steps do not represent an exhaustive list of 
activities.

    Dated: March 11, 2011.
Tanja Popovic,
Deputy Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-6100 Filed 3-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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