[Federal Register: November 8, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 217)]
[Notices]               
[Page 68138-68139]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08no02-92]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60 Day-03-12]

 
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 498-1210.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: National Disease Surveillance Program--II. 
Disease Summaries (0920-0004)--Extension--National Center for 
Infectious Diseases (NCID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
Surveillance of the incidence and distribution of disease has been an 
important function of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) since 1878. 
Through the years, PHS/CDC has formulated practical methods of disease 
control through field investigations. The CDC Surveillance Program is 
based on the premise that diseases cannot be diagnosed, prevented, or 
controlled until existing knowledge is expanded and new ideas developed 
and implemented. Over the years, the mandate of CDC has broadened to 
include preventive health activities and the surveillance systems 
maintained have expanded.
    CDC and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) 
collect data on disease and preventable conditions in accordance with 
jointly approved plans. Changes in the surveillance program and in 
reporting methods are effected in the same manner. At the onset of this 
surveillance program in 1968, the CSTE and CDC decided on which 
diseases warranted surveillance. These diseases are reviewed and 
revised based on variations in the public's health. Surveillance forms 
are distributed to the State and local health departments who 
voluntarily submit these reports to CDC at variable frequencies, either 
weekly or monthly. CDC then calculates and publishes weekly statistics 
via the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), providing the 
states with timely aggregates of their submissions.
    The following diseases/conditions are included in this program: 
influenza, respiratory and enterovirus, arboviral encephalitis, rabies, 
Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, foodborne outbreaks, waterborne 
outbreaks, and enteric virus. These data are essential on the local, 
state, and Federal levels for measuring trends in diseases, evaluating 
the effectiveness of current prevention strategies, and determining the 
need for modifying current prevention measures.
    This request is for extension of the data collection for three 
years. Because of the distinct nature of each of the diseases, the 
number of cases reported annually is different for each.
    The total estimated annualized burden is 6,048 hours. There is no 
cost to respondents.

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                                                                  Number of     Average burden/
                 Respondents                     Number of        responses/     response  (in     Total burden
                                                respondents       respondent         hrs.)           in Hours
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State and local health officials in 50                   864               28            15/60            6,048
 states/territories.........................
                                             ------------------
    Total...................................  ...............  ...............  ...............           6,048
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[[Page 68139]]

    Dated: November 1, 2002.
Nancy E. Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-28456 Filed 11-7-02; 8:45 am]

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