Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance

Background

The Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance was initiated in 1999 following a congressional hearing on the topic "Antimicrobial Resistance: Solutions to a Growing Public Health Problem." The Task Force brings together multiple federal agencies to address the complex issue of antimicrobial resistance.

Members

Currently, representatives from ten federal agencies participate as members of the Task Force.

Co-chairs:

Other Members:

Public Health Action Plan
In 2001, the Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance developed A Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance Part 1: Domestic Issues [PDF - 261 KB] as a blueprint for specific, coordinated federal actions to address the emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance. Progress on implementation of the Action Plan is reported on a yearly basis in Annual Reports.

In December 2007, the Interagency Task Force held a consultants meeting to obtain suggestions and recommendations for revising and updating the Action Plan. The revised Action Plan focuses on federal activities that are critical in the next three to five years and is titled A Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance [PDF - 300 KB].

Task Force Co-Chairs

Agency	Staff Member	Title
FDA/DHHS	Edward M. Cox, Jr., MD, MPH	Office of Antimicrobial Products, CDER
	David G. White, PhD	Director, Office of Research, CVM
NIH/DHHS	Dennis M. Dixon, PhD	Chief, Bacteriology and Mycology Branch, DMID/NIAID
	Jane M. Knisely, PhD	Program Officer, Bacteriology and Mycology Branch, DMID/NIAID
CDC/DHHS	Steve Solomon, MD	Director, Office of Antimicrobial Resistance, DHQP/NCEZID
	Jean Patel, PhD, D(ABMM)	Deputy Director, Office of Antimicrobial Resistance, DHQP/NCEZID

Agency/Department Representatives

Agency	Staff Member	Title
AHRQ/DHHS	William. B. Baine, MD	Senior Medical Advisor, Center for Outcomes and Evidence
ASPR/DHHS	Joe Larsen, PhD	Chief, Broad Spectrum Antimicrobials (BSA) Program
CMS/OCSQ	Karen Nakano, M.D., M.S.	Medical Officer, DHMM/QMHAG
HRSA/DHHS	Paul D. Moore, DPh	Senior Health Policy Advisor, Office of Rural Health Policy
OASH/DHHS	Don Wright, M.D., M.P.H.	Deputy Assistant Secretary for Healthcare Quality
USDA	Mary E. Torrence, DVM, PhD, DACVPM	National Program Leader, Food Safety/ARS
DoD	Joel C. Gaydos, MD, MPH	Science Advisor, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center
DVA	Gary Roselle, MD	DVA/VHA Infectious Diseases Program Office
EPA	Susan Jennings, M.S.	EPA Office of Pesticide Programs

Consulting Members

Agency	Staff Member	Title
FDA/DHHS	Wanda Russ	Policy Analyst, Office of Executive Secretariat
USDA	Neena Anandaraman, DVM, MPH, DACVPM	Veterinary Epidemiologist , Applied Epidemiology Division
DVA	Stephen Kralovic, MD, MPH	DVA/VHA Infectious Diseases Program Office
DHHS/OS/OASH	R. Rani Jeeva, MPH	Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention Team Leader, Public Health Advisor
DoD	Luther Lindler, PhD	DHS AFHSC Liaison