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Expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (EAGAR)
EAGAR's term of appointment expired on 31 December 2007.
Introduction
Antimicrobial resistance, the ability of micro-organisms (notably bacteria) to withstand antimicrobial agents (antibiotics), is an important and growing public health issue. Since their discovery in the 1940's, antibiotics have dramatically reduced illness and death from infectious diseases. However, over the years bacteria that were once controlled by these drugs have developed resistance so that common infections in humans can cause significant harm and even death. Antimicrobial resistance is now a serious public health threat as it endangers the successful treatment of infectious diseases all over the world. It is well documented that AMR increases mortality, morbidity and costs, thus compromising one of the cornerstones of modern medical treatment.
2005 has seen regular media reports on the increasing incidence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA infections, particularly those acquired outside hospitals. Australia has very high levels of community-acquired MRSA (caMRSA) compared to many other countries and EAGAR feels strongly that more needs to be done to reduce the impact here.
The Expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (EAGAR) provides expert advice to the Commonwealth on measures to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance. EAGAR consists of internationally recognised experts on human and veterinary medicine, public health, appropriate use of antibiotics and development of antibiotic resistance. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), through EAGAR, will ensure that Australian government receive world class advice in a timely manner.
EAGAR's approach is to encourage Governments to make caMRSA notifiable in all States and Territories, to encourage a reduction in unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics by GPs (including accurate diagnosis before prescribing and improved hygiene) and to promote a public education campaign.
History
In December 1997, the then Federal Minister for Health and the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy established the Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance JETACAR to assess the scientific evidence linking the use of antibiotics in food producing animals and the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. JETACAR reported that development and transmission of antibiotic resistance is a threat to human health, and established that transfer of antibiotic resistance from food producing animals to humans does occur.
JETACAR recommended that the NHMRC establish an Expert Advisory Group to provide advice on measures to reduce the risks of antibiotic resistance in agriculture and human health. In response to JETACAR, the Commonwealth established the Commonwealth Interdepartmental JETACAR Implementation Group (CIJIG) with membership drawn from the Commonwealth Departments of Health and Ageing and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and relevant Commonwealth regulatory agencies. The role of CIJIG is to manage the Australian Government's implementation plans for the 22 recommendations of the JETACAR report.
In 2001, the NHMRC established EAGAR to provide expert, independent advice to Australian Governments and Commonwealth Statutory authorities on measures to reduce the risks of antimicrobial resistance. EAGAR's work involves providing advice to regulatory agencies, monitoring antibiotic use, surveillance and monitoring of antibiotic resistance, investigating antibiotic use and its impact on human health, including medical and veterinary practice, food production, relevant research and evaluation needs, educational strategies, and all other matters relating to the control of antimicrobial resistance in Australia.
Terms of reference
Provide independent and timely expert advice to the CEO on:
- Measures necessary to reduce the risks and levels of antimicrobial resistance in Australia;
- Risks of developing resistance to new and marketed antimicrobials;
Public health implications of antimicrobial resistance; - Monitoring of antimicrobial use (including agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, other non-human uses and food production) and surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance;
- Promoting the rational use of medicines;
- International benchmarking against antimicrobial resistance strategies in other countries;
- The adequacy of surveillance and control measures implemented by Australian governments (including assessing implementation of the Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (JETACAR) recommendations); and
- Educational strategies in relation to Antimicrobial Resistance.
Membership
The members of EAGAR are internationally recognised experts on human and veterinary medicine and public health. The NHMRC, through this committee, will ensure that Australian governments receive world-class advice in a timely manner.
EAGAR also manages its charter by establishing and maintaining linkages and/or an interest in the work of other organisations and observers (such as the, Communicable Diseases Network Australia, Public Health Laboratory Network, CIJIG, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee's Drug Utilisation Sub Committee, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, as well as Commonwealth agencies etc).
The CEO appointed the following members until 31 December 2007.
MEMBER |
POSITION |
CATEGORY OF EXPERTISE |
|
University of Melbourne |
Public health, medicine |
|
Head of Division of Laboratory Medicine |
Public health, medicine |
|
Director, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Children’s, Youth and Women’s Health Service, Adelaide |
Public health, medicine |
|
Professor of Microbiology, University of South Australia |
Veterinary Microbiology |
|
Senior Research Scientist, NSW Department of Primary Industries |
Veterinary Epidemiology |
|
JJ Webber Consulting (consultancy services to the agricultural industries in veterinary public health and food safety; ex DAFF) |
Veterinary Science (agricultural related) |
|
Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Perth Hospital |
Microbiology |
|
Chief Executive Officer, National Prescribing Service |
Public Health, educational strategy |
|
Director, Northern Territory Government Pathology Service, Royal Darwin Hospital, Pathology Department |
Pathology, microbiology |
|
Senior Medical Microbiologist |
Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, public health |
|
National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Kerry Packer Institute for Child Health Research |
Infectious diseases |
|
Head, Ear Health and Education Unit |
Indigenous Health |
|
Consumers’ Health Forum of Australia representative |
Consumer Interests |
|
|
NHMRC Council member |
|
Commonwealth Observers |
|
Ms Donna Janssen |
Secretariat |
|
Meetings
Meeting dates for 2007 are 25 June and 19 November.
Working Documents
» Download: EAGAR Workshop (PDF, 225kb)
EAGER fact sheets:
- Antimicrobial (Antibiotic) Resistance
- Antibiotic Residues and Maximum Residue Limits
- Vancomycin resistant enterococcus
Links to external sources of information
- » National Prescribing Service Common colds need common sense, not antibiotics
- » Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
- Links to veterinary and medical surveillance work being conducted overseas:
- Denmark - The Danish Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Research Programme. DANMAP 2004 Annual Report - results of monitoring of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in food animals, foods and humans in 2004.
» Download: DANMAP 2004 Annual Report (PDF) - Sweden - Swedish Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (SVARM). Third report combining results from the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial usage in both veterinary and human medicines: SVARM and SWEDRES. Collaboration and joint efforts between human and veterinary medicines are essential in order to counteract the threat that antimicrobial resistance poses to both human and animal health.
» Download: SVARM Third Report (PDF) - Norway - NORM/NORM-VET Usage of Antimicrobial Agents and Occurrence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Norway 2004.The report presents data on usage of antimicrobial agents in both humans and animals, and data on resistance in bacteria from humans, food and animals.
» Download: ORM/NORM-VET Usage of Antimicrobial Agents and Occurrence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Norway 2004 (PDF) - Canada - The Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) 2003 Annual Report. Information is being collected on antimicrobial resistance in enteric pathogens and commensal organisms from the agri-food sector (farm level, abattoir level and retail level), on antimicrobial resistance in enteric pathogens isolated from humans, and on antimicrobial use in humans and animals.
» Download: CIPARS 2003 Annual Report (PDF) - United States of America - National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)
- Denmark - The Danish Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Research Programme. DANMAP 2004 Annual Report - results of monitoring of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in food animals, foods and humans in 2004.
- Drug Use Statistics
- Regulatory Control of Antibiotics to Manage Antibiotic Resistance Annual Report: 2004 (published 1 May 2005 Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Group, New Zealand Food Safety Authority)
» Download: Annual Report: 2004 (PDF)
- Regulatory Control of Antibiotics to Manage Antibiotic Resistance Annual Report: 2004 (published 1 May 2005 Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Group, New Zealand Food Safety Authority)
Journal Articles
Antibiotic resistance in the southeastern Mediterranean - preliminary results from the ARMed project
» See information on the Eurosurveillance article
Media Articles
Articles of interest relating to antimicrobial resistance, antibiotics, and community-acquired MRSA (caMRSA) that have appeared in the Australian media.
Contact information
| Postal address: | Ms Donna Janssen A/g Assistant Director Secretariat National Health and Medical Research Council GPO Box 1421 CANBERRA ACT 2601 |
| Email address: | expertcommittees@nhmrc.gov.au |
| Telephone: | (02) 6217 9363 or (02) 6217 9045 |
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