White House Releases National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Today, the White House released a comprehensive plan that identifies critical actions to be taken by key federal departments and agencies to combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The 

outlines steps for implementing theNational Strategy on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and addressing the policy recommendations of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)

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The National Action Plan outlines federal activities over the next five years to enhance domestic and international capacity to prevent and contain outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections; maintain the efficacy of current and new antibiotics; and develop and deploy next-generation diagnostics, antibiotics, vaccines, and other therapeutics. 

These activities are consistent with investments proposed under the FY 2016 Budget, which nearly doubles the amount of Federal funding for combating and preventing antibiotic resistance to more than $1.2 billion. The FY 2016 budget proposal would support implementation of activities in CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative, including state prevention programs, outbreak surveillance and regional lab detection (regional labs), antibiotic use and resistance monitoring, antibiotic stewardship programs, prevention activities for drug-resistant tuberculosis and drug-resistant gonorrhea, and surveillance and prevention of drug-resistant foodborne infections.

To read an interview with President Obama and WebMD about the National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, visit http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2015/03/exclusive-obama-on-antibiotic-resistance.html.

To read the White House Blog Post by Secretaries Burwell, Carter, and Vilsack on this important topic, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/03/27/our-plan-combat-and-prevent-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria.

To learn more about CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative, visit http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/solutions-initiative/index.html.
 
 Source: CDC