Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel

The Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT) is an external advisory body that assists the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) with travel health-related advice for travellers and health care professionals.
The Committee was formed in February 1990 to:

• Provide recommendations relating to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and other health hazards that may be encountered by Canadian travellers outside of Canada;
• Suggest mechanisms for the widespread dissemination and utilization of such recommendations and other travel or tropical medicine-related health information; and
• Advise on priorities for epidemiological research and other activities related to travel or tropical medicine.

For more detailed information about CATMAT, please visit the following page:

• Contact the Secretariat
• About CATMAT

Membership

Members are comprised of health experts from across Canada and are selected based on recommendations from the Committee Chair and other Committee Members.  In addition, the Committee may request services of specialized consultants to provide advice in a particular scientific or medical area of expertise.

The Chair of the group is selected by the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), on the recommendations of the Secretariat and the Director of the Travel Health Division of PHAC.

As an agreement of membership, all external advisory body members complete a Confidentiality Agreement (Non-disclosure form).

For more detailed information about the members of CATMAT, please refer to the following:

• Membership List

Meeting Information and Reports

A meeting of the full Committee will occur at least annually.  Additional meetings will occur as needed.

Deliberations, recommendations and final reports are developed by CATMAT in collaboration with PHAC specialists at the appropriate working level.  These reports are submitted by the Secretariat of CATMAT for presentation to the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Infectious Disease and Control Branch of PHAC.

Contact Information

A qualified officer of the Agency is selected to serve as Secretariat and is supported by staff of the Travel Health Division of PHAC.

For any further questions or inquiries please contact the CATMAT Secretariat.