National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Name	National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Jurisdiction	United States
Agency	United States Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Food and Drug Administration
Formed	2015

Contents

National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria The plan is a coordinated United States federal initiative launched under the Obama administration and linked to executive guidance from the White House and the National Security Council to address antimicrobial resistance issues related to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and Department of Agriculture activities. It frames responses across sectors including Department of Defense, Veterans Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and international partners such as the World Health Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health, and Food and Agriculture Organization. The document aligns with legislation and policy instruments like the Presidential Policy Directive processes, the Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator concept, and ties to funding appropriations from Congress and programmatic priorities of the National Institutes of Health.

Background and Objectives

The initiative arose amid heightened attention after reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and advisory panels including the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that documented threats exemplified by events such as outbreaks traced in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago health systems. Objectives include reducing infections by resistant organisms recognized in guidance from World Health Organization, decreasing inappropriate use described in analyses by the Institute of Medicine, accelerating development of new therapeutics supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and strengthening global partnerships with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health England, and Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health.

The plan organizes actions into pillars reflecting priorities promoted by stakeholders like the Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, and National Governors Association: enhancing surveillance exemplified by collaborations with State health departments and local health departments; promoting stewardship guided by protocols used at institutions such as Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital; investing in research channels of the National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; and strengthening incentives aligned with initiatives from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the Wellcome Trust.

Governance structures coordinate agencies including Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs through interagency working groups similar to mechanisms used in responses to the 2014 Ebola epidemic and policy efforts like the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza. Implementation leverages program management practices from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quality initiatives, contract vehicles related to General Services Administration procurement, and partnership models exemplified by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority collaborations with firms such as Pfizer, Merck, and Novartis.

Surveillance activities build on systems such as those administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, with laboratory capacity strengthened via partnerships with the Association of Public Health Laboratories and networks like the Laboratory Response Network. Research priorities align with funding mechanisms from the National Institutes of Health, translational programs at National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and public–private collaborations involving entities like BARDA, Wellcome Trust, and academic centers including Harvard Medical School and University of California, San Francisco. Innovation incentives reference models from the Orphan Drug Act and discussions in forums such as the G20 and United Nations assemblies.

Stewardship initiatives adapt clinical guidelines promoted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and infection prevention frameworks used by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization, and are implemented across clinical settings including Veterans Health Administration hospitals, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and long-term care networks affiliated with AARP stakeholders. Agricultural uses are addressed through collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, producer groups such as the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and regulatory frameworks influenced by the Food and Drug Administration guidance on medically important antimicrobials.

Public communication campaigns draw on models used by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination outreach and risk communication strategies from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Surgeon General, with educational curricula adapted for professional schools including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, and Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Workforce development targets laboratory and clinical capacity similar to programs at State universities, community colleges, and training initiatives funded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Monitoring utilizes indicators tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, evaluation frameworks modeled on Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality metrics, and reporting aligned with international obligations to World Health Organization and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Outcomes inform subsequent policy through venues such as testimony before United States Congress committees, assessments by the Institute of Medicine, and reviews published in journals associated with American Medical Association and Nature Publishing Group.