§ 247d–5.
Combating antimicrobial resistance
(a)
Task force
(2)
Members of task force
(3)
Agenda
(A)
In general
The task force described in paragraph (1) shall consider factors the Secretary considers appropriate, including—
(i)
public health factors contributing to increasing antimicrobial resistance;
(ii)
public health needs to detect and monitor antimicrobial resistance;
(iii)
detection, prevention, and control strategies for resistant pathogens;
(iv)
the need for improved information and data collection;
(v)
the assessment of the risk imposed by pathogens presenting a threat to the public health; and
(vi)
any other issues which the Secretary determines are relevant to antimicrobial resistance.
(B)
Detection and control
The Secretary, in consultation with the task force described in paragraph (1) and State and local public health officials, shall—
(i)
develop, improve, coordinate or enhance participation in a surveillance plan to detect and monitor emerging antimicrobial resistance; and
(ii)
develop, improve, coordinate or enhance participation in an integrated information system to assimilate, analyze, and exchange antimicrobial resistance data between public health departments.
(b)
Research and development of new antimicrobial drugs and diagnostics
The Secretary and the Director of Agricultural Research Services, consistent with the recommendations of the task force established under subsection (a), shall directly or through awards of grants or cooperative agreements to public or private entities provide for the conduct of research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, and studies in the health sciences that are related to—
(1)
the development of new therapeutics, including vaccines and antimicrobials, against resistant pathogens;
(2)
the development or testing of medical diagnostics to detect pathogens resistant to antimicrobials;
(3)
the epidemiology, mechanisms, and pathogenesis of antimicrobial resistance;
(4)
the sequencing of the genomes, or other DNA analysis, or other comparative analysis, of priority pathogens (as determined by the Director of the National Institutes of Health in consultation with the task force established under subsection (a)), in collaboration and coordination with the activities of the Department of Defense and the Joint Genome Institute of the Department of Energy; and
(5)
other relevant research areas.
(c)
Education of medical and public health personnel
The Secretary, after consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Surgeon General, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, members of the task force described in subsection (a), professional organizations and societies, and such other public health officials as may be necessary, shall—
(1)
develop and implement educational programs to increase the awareness of the general public with respect to the public health threat of antimicrobial resistance and the appropriate use of antibiotics;
(2)
develop and implement educational programs to instruct health care professionals in the prudent use of antibiotics; and
(3)
develop and implement programs to train laboratory personnel in the recognition or identification of resistance in pathogens.
(d)
Grants
(3)
Use of funds
An eligible entity receiving a grant under paragraph (1) shall use funds from such grant for activities that are consistent with the factors identified by the task force under subsection (a)(3), which may include activities that—
(A)
provide training to enable such entity to identify patterns of resistance rapidly and accurately;
(B)
develop, improve, coordinate or enhance participation in information systems by which data on resistant infections can be shared rapidly among relevant national, State, and local health agencies and health care providers; and
(C)
develop and implement policies to control the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
(e)
Grants for demonstration programs
(f)
Monitoring at Federal health care facilities
(g)
Report on antimicrobial resistance in humans and use of antimicrobial drugs
Not later than 1 year after December 13, 2016, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and make publicly available data and information concerning—
(1)
aggregate national and regional trends of antimicrobial resistance in humans to antimicrobial drugs, including such drugs approved under
section 356(h) of title 21;
(2)
antimicrobial stewardship, which may include summaries of State efforts to address antimicrobial resistance in humans to antimicrobial drugs and antimicrobial stewardship; and
(3)
coordination between the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs with respect to the monitoring of—
(A)
any applicable resistance under paragraph (1); and
(h)
Information related to antimicrobial stewardship programs
(i)
Supporting State-based activities to combat antimicrobial resistance
The Secretary shall continue to work with State and local public health departments on statewide or regional programs related to antimicrobial resistance. Such efforts may include activities to related to—
(1)
identifying patterns of bacterial and fungal resistance in humans to antimicrobial drugs;
(2)
preventing the spread of bacterial and fungal infections that are resistant to antimicrobial drugs; and
(3)
promoting antimicrobial stewardship.
(j)
Antimicrobial resistance and stewardship activities
(1)
In general
For the purposes of supporting stewardship activities, examining changes in antimicrobial resistance, and evaluating the effectiveness of
section 356(h) of title 21, the Secretary shall—
(A)
provide a mechanism for facilities to report data related to their antimicrobial stewardship activities (including analyzing the outcomes of such activities); and
(B)
evaluate—
(i)
antimicrobial resistance data using a standardized approach; and
(k)
Network of antibiotic resistance regional laboratories
(1)
In general
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall, as appropriate, maintain a network of antibiotic resistance laboratory sites to ensure the maintenance of appropriate capabilities, within existing laboratory capacity maintained or supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to—
(A)
identify and monitor the emergence and changes in the patterns of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens;
(B)
detect, identify, confirm, and isolate such resistant pathogens, including, as appropriate, performing such activities upon the request of another laboratory and providing related technical assistance, and, as applicable, support efforts to respond to local or regional outbreaks of such resistant pathogens; and
(C)
perform activities to support the diagnosis of such resistant pathogens and determine the susceptibility of relevant pathogen samples to applicable treatments.
(2)
Geographic distribution
(3)
Partnerships and nonduplication of current domestic capacity
(l)
International collaboration
(1)
In general
The Secretary, in coordination with heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall support activities related to addressing antimicrobial resistance internationally, including by—
(A)
supporting basic, translational, epidemiological, and clinical research related to antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, including such pathogens that have not yet been detected in the United States, and improving related public health surveillance systems, and laboratory and other response capacity; and
(B)
providing technical assistance related to antimicrobial resistant infection and control activities.
(n)
Supplement not supplant
(o)
Authorization of appropriations
([July 1, 1944, ch. 373], title III, § 319E, as added [Pub. L. 106–505, title I, § 102], Nov. 13, 2000, [114 Stat. 2318]; amended [Pub. L. 107–188, title I, § 109], June 12, 2002, [116 Stat. 610]; [Pub. L. 114–255, div. A, title III, § 3041(a)], Dec. 13, 2016, [130 Stat. 1111]; [Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title II, § 2234], Dec. 29, 2022, [136 Stat. 5754].)