Public notice and comment
Following a public call for experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced proposed members of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on AWaRe (TAG-AWaRe). The TAG-AWaRe will provide independent advice to the WHO on specific topics relating to antimicrobial use and stewardship.
The 24 proposed TAG-AWaRe members have expertise in a range of areas including, but not limited to the following:
- Access to medicines, particularly antimicrobials;
- Antimicrobial stewardship;
- Antimicrobial use surveillance;
- Clinical microbiology;
- Clinical pharmacy;
- Clinical pharmacology;
- Healthcare epidemiology;
- Implementation science;
- Infectious diseases;
- Monitoring and evaluation;
- Policymaking relating to antimicrobial use and stewardship;
- Public health impact of antimicrobial use;
- Social and behavioural sciences.
The composition of the TAG-AWaRe properly reflects geographic and gender diversity.
As per WHO processes, there will now be a two-week public consultation period for WHO to receive feedback on the proposed TAG-AWaRe members and set in place the modalities for the TAG-AWaRe’s first meeting, which is planned to take place following this consultation period.
The final membership to the TAG-AWaRe is subject to the above-mentioned public consultation period and relevant WHO practices and procedures.
Functions of the TAG-AWaRe
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG-AWaRe shall have the following functions:
- To provide independent evaluation of the scientific technical and strategic aspects of the clinical and public health impact of antimicrobial use on resistance and subsequent considerations for access to and stewardship of antimicrobials;
- To provide technical input into WHO guidance documents for antimicrobial stewardship, including the WHO antimicrobial stewardship practical toolkit;
- To review updates of existing AWaRe guidance and newly developed guidance to ensure they are scientifically sound and feasible;
- To advise WHO on the (re-)classification of antibiotics and other antimicrobials in the Access, Watch, Reserve and Not Recommended categories of the AWaRe classification;
- To advise on implementation strategies and other priority guidance documents for AWaRe; and
- To advise WHO on the development, implementation and evaluation of further AWaRe based indicators and targets.
WHO will be finalizing the appointment of the 24 members in the coming days following the review of comments received during their notice period.
The members are to serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to antimicrobial use and stewardship. In evaluating the applications submitted, consideration was given to attaining an adequate distribution of technical expertise, geographical representation and gender balance.
Proposed TAG-AWaRe members
- Professor Milica Bajčetić is a clinical pharmacologist at the University Children's Hospital and Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade in Serbia. She is from Serbia.
- Dr Wanda Cornistein is an infectious diseases specialist and Director of the Master's Program in Infection Prevention and Control at Austral University in Argentina. She is from Argentina.
- Dr José Pablo Díaz Madriz is a clinical pharmacist at Clínica Bíblica Hospital and Professor at the University of Costa Rica and the University of Medical Sciences in Costa Rica. He is from Costa Rica.
- Associate Professor Sumanth Gandra is an infectious diseases specialist and Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis in the United States of America. He is from India.
- Dr Kushlani Jayatilleke is a medical microbiologist at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital and honorary senior lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka. She is from Sri Lanka.
- Dr Sholpan Kaliyeva is a clinical pharmacologist and Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Evidence-Based Medicine, Karaganda Medical University in Kazakhstan. She is from Kazakhstan.
- Dr Rupa Kanapathipillai is an infectious diseases specialist, global antimicrobial stewardship lead at Médecins Sans Frontières and senior medical staff at Monash Health in Australia. She is from Australia.
- Professor Souha Kanj is an infectious diseases specialist and Professor at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon. She is from Lebanon.
- Dr Faryal Khamis is an infectious diseases specialist and medical microbiologist at the Royal Hospital in Oman. She is from Oman.
- Dr Yves Longtin is an infectious diseases specialist and medical microbiologist at the Centre Intégré Universitaire Centre Ouest de Montreal in Canada. He is from Canada.
- Professor Marc Mendelson is an infectious diseases specialist and Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital and Professor at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He is from the United Kingdom and is a permanent resident of South Africa.
- Dr Ravi Naidu is a specialist physician with an interest in infectious diseases at Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Fiji. He is from Fiji.
- Dr Shimaa Nasr is a pharmacist and manager of the rational drug use unit at the Egyptian Drug Authority and lecturer at General Organization of Teaching Hospitals in Egypt. She is from Egypt.
- Dr Loice Achieng Ombajo is an infectious diseases specialist and senior lecturer at the Department of Clinical Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Nairobi in Kenya. She is from Kenya.
- Dr Twisha Patel is an infectious diseases pharmacist in the International Infection Control Branch at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is from the United States of America.
- Professor Pinyo Rattanaumpawan is an infectious diseases specialist at Siriraj Hospital and Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University in Thailand. She is from Thailand.
- Dr Jeroen Schouten is an internist, intensivist and Associate Professor at Radboudumc in the Netherlands (Kingdom of the). He is from the Netherlands (Kingdom of the).
- Dr Arash Seifi is an infectious diseases specialist and Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex and Associate Professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran (Islamic Republic of). He is from Iran (Islamic Republic of).
- Professor Mike Sharland is a paediatrician and the Antibiotic Policy Group Lead, Institute of Infection and Immunity, City St George’s, University of London in the United Kingdom. He is from the United Kingdom.
- Dr Robert Sinto is an infectious diseases specialist at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and clinical lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia. He is from Indonesia.
- Dr Shinya Tsuzuki is an epidemiologist at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Japan. He is from Japan.
- Dr Daniel Valia is an epidemiologist at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro in Burkina Faso. He is from Burkina Faso.
- Dr Mei Zeng is a paediatric infectious diseases specialist and Vice Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in China. She is from China.
- Mr Kauke Bakari Zimbwe is a clinical pharmacist at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in the United Republic of Tanzania. He is from the United Republic of Tanzania.
Please refer to the biographies of proposed members of the TAG-AWaRe for further information.
Pursuant to WHO’s rules and practices, and in order to enhance WHO’s management of conflicts of interest, as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO advisory groups involving the provision of technical advice, the names and brief biographies of the individuals selected for TAG-AWaRe membership are now disclosed for public notice and comment.
Should you wish to comment on the individuals, please send your comments to TAG-AWaRe@who.int with subject, “Public comments on TAG-AWaRe members,” by 23 January 2025, 17:00 CET.
WHO will treat the comments received through this public notice and comment process confidentially. Comments and perceptions brought to the attention of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and will, subject to WHO’s rules, practices, and policies, be carefully reviewed by WHO. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert and otherwise within the Organization as appropriate, with no attribution to the provider of the information. WHO, may, in its sole discretion, take appropriate action in accordance with its rules, practices, and policies, based on any information received.
Disclaimer:
In order to enhance its management of Conflicts of Interest as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO meetings involving the provision of technical/normative advice, the names and brief biographies of individuals (“Published Information” ) being considered for participation in such meetings are disclosed for public notice and comment.
The Published Information is provided by the experts themselves and is the sole responsibility of the individuals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the Published Information provided. Furthermore, in no event will WHO be responsible or liable for damages in relation to the use of, and reliance upon, the Published Information.
The comments received by WHO through the public notice and comment process are treated confidentially and their receipt will be acknowledged through a generic email notification to the sender. Comments and perceptions brought to the knowledge of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and are carefully reviewed. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management action in accordance with its policies.
The participation of an expert in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO nor does it create a binding relationship between the expert and WHO.
The list of participating experts, a summary of relevant interests disclosed by such experts, and any appropriate mitigation measures taken by WHO relating to the management of conflicts of interests, will be reported publically in accordance with WHO practice.