Scope (2016-2020)

Objectives and Outcome

The taskforce objectives are to:

• increase the mutual understanding of TATFAR partners’ (EU, U.S., Canada and Norway) activities and programs relating to the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance;
• contribute to an effective global dialogue and uptake of best practices;
• provide opportunities for shared learning; and
• promote information exchange, coordination and cooperation between the EU, U.S., Canada and Norway.

The outcome of the work of the taskforce includes technical and scientific statements or suggestions and neither represent nor impose a formal or binding position on the part of the TATFAR partners.

The work of the taskforce builds on work done by TATFAR during the period 2011 to 2015 and reflects the contributions of the institutions and the individuals who have contributed to the success of the first two TATFAR periods.  In the coming period the taskforce should be outward-looking, advocating the work of TATAFAR to a wider audience.

Key Areas

The work of the taskforce is guided by the 3 Key Areas

• appropriate therapeutic use of antimicrobial drugs in the medical and veterinary communities
• prevention of drug-resistant infections, and
• strategies for improving the pipeline of new antimicrobial drugs and diagnostic devices, and maintaining existing drugs on the market.

Composition and Structure of the Taskforce

Partners

TATFAR is a joint collaboration between the EU and the U.S., Canada (as of 2009) and Norway (as of 2015). TATFAR is under the leadership of the EU and U.S.

Institutional Members and Representatives

The taskforce and its working groups include representatives of the civil service and/or other public bodies of the EU, U.S., Canada and Norway. The representatives shall have a general overview on health-related issues or a specific knowledge on AMR in one of the 3 Key Areas.

Representatives from member institutions will

• participate in biannual TATFAR meetings;
• identify implementers for TATFAR work; and
• review and approve TATFAR outputs including, but not limited to, changes to actions for collaboration, progress reports and meeting minutes.

 

At the start of the third implementation period (2016-2020) the taskforce will consist of 22 representatives from member institutions (up to nine each from the EU and U.S., and up to two each from Canada and Norway), Council of the European Union (represented by the Trio Presidency as ex-officio members) and the secretariat.  The member institutions and the number of representatives of the institutions may be varied by agreement of TATFAR.

The European Union will be represented by the Council of the European Union, represented by the current presidency on behalf of the Trio Presidency as an ex-officio member, in order to keep the Council regularly informed of progress, as well as the following European Commission agencies and organisations:

• EC-Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE)
• EC-Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD)
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
• European Medicines Agency (EMA)
• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

 

The United States will be represented by the following agencies or offices of the Department of Health and Human Services:

• Office of Global Affairs (OGA)
• Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID/NIH)

 

Canada will be represented by the following member agencies and organisations:

• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

 

Norway will be represented by the following member agencies and organisations:

• Norwegian Institute of Public Health
• Norwegian National Veterinary Institute

Co-Chairs

The taskforce is co-chaired by the Director of the European Commission Public Health Directorate and the U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs.

The co-chairs will lead (or assign a delegate to lead) TATFAR meetings and review and approve TATFAR output.

Secretariat

A secretariat deals with the administrative aspects of organizing and running the day-to-day arrangements of the taskforce. CDC has maintained this role since January of 2014; however, the location and role of the secretariat may be changed by TATFAR.

While CDC serves in the lead role as secretariat, other representatives that serve as points of contact for the member governments and assist with the coordination of taskforce activities will fall under the title of secretariat and will be referred to as TATFAR coordinators.

 

The secretariat will:

• Communicate regularly with TATFAR coordinators to facilitate the execution of TATFAR goals and milestones.
• Schedule and prepare agendas of semi-annual TATFAR meetings and working group meetings.
• Draft minutes or meeting summaries for TATFAR and working group meetings as appropriate.
• Maintain a spreadsheet to track progress on actions.
• Maintain the TATFAR website.
• Facilitate TATFAR correspondence.
• Maintain and facilitate the drafting of TATFAR documents and reports.
• Coordinate outward-facing activities.

Implementers

The TATFAR member representatives will identify technical experts (or implementers) to work on actions for collaboration.  Contributions to TATFAR work may be made by organisations and individuals who are not institutional members of TATFAR; overall responsibility for the work, however, must remain with TATFAR institutions.

Implementers will:

• Collaborate on the implementation of actions
• Report, for internal purposes, on the progress for each action no less than semi-annually and for external purposes as agreed by the co-chairs

Operating Procedures

The taskforce is co-chaired by the Director of the European Commission Public Heath Directorate and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs.  The full membership of the taskforce will hold meetings no less than every six months by teleconference or video conference with one in-person meeting midway through this implementation period of five years.  The taskforce will review its progress annually and increase visibility by posting progress to its website.

Actions for Collaboration

Ongoing Actions:

Implementers for each action will establish their own schedules for meetings and correspondence.  Implementers will report on the progress for TATFAR work no less than semi-annually.

Retiring Actions:

A working group may propose to retire an action if progress is stalled or work has been completed.  The co-leads for the action will present a proposal for the retirement, including justification, to the full TATFAR membership.  This may be done via email or at an all-member TATFAR meeting.

New Actions:

TATFAR members may propose new actions for collaboration at the midway mark for the implementation period.  The member(s) will be responsible for drafting the action and presenting it to the full TATFAR membership at an all-member meeting.

 

The proposal for a new action shall include:

• The Key Focus Area under which the action will be included
• The area of collaboration
• A brief statement describing the issue
• Description of work
• Proposed implementers
• Proposed timeline and milestones for the implementation of the work

TATFAR will review proposals for new actions for action.  In some cases, TATFAR may require a feasibility assessment before the proposed action can be approved.

Consultation, External Interaction and Workshops

The members of the taskforce will seek, where appropriate, to obtain input from the public, interested experts, likeminded groups and other stakeholders, in accordance with each member‘s respective process for obtaining public comment, on the specific activities within the framework of the Declaration where member collaboration can be most fruitful.  As feasible, meetings to which public participation is invited will be conducted.  Where possible, TATFAR will exchange information on progress with corresponding initiatives run by other international organizations working in the same area.

 

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