PREFACE 
The director of the National Institutes of Health, in October 1974, 
established a steering committee to develop a unified approach to assure 
both short - and long-term supplies of nonhuman primates for biomedical 
research activities. This action was taken in response to the shortages 
of a number of primate species vital to biomedical research activities. 
The committee was later expanded by the Assistant Secretary for Health, 
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) to include other 
DHEW organizations as well as other agencies of the Federal Government. 
Through the efforts of this committee, major steps have been taken to 
ensure adequate and continuing supplies of primates for biomedical 
research and other essential health activities. These include: 
* expansion of domestic production of primates; 
* development of international programs for the production 
and conservation of several species of primates; and 
* action to assure the most effective use of available primates. 
The National Primate Plan, prepared by the committee, is a combination 
of program activities that have been in operation for some time and 
others that remain to be initiated. As the plan is implemented, it will 
result in a National Primate Program with operational functions for each 
component activity carried out by the agency most concerned. The com¬ 
mittee will continue to be responsible for coordinating and representing 
the combined interest of government agencies in the supply, utilization, 
and conservation of nonhuman primates. It will also be responsible for 
monitoring and periodic evaluation of activities in order to maintain a 
comprehensive, unified program to assure a continuous supply of nonhuman 
primates to meet essential health and other scientific needs of the 
nation. 
The membership of the Interagency Primate Steering Committee includes 
representatives from the National Science Foundation, the Department of 
Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Veterans Adminis¬ 
tration, and five DHEW components: the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental 
Health Administration; the Center for Disease Control; the Food and Drug 
Administration; the Office of International Health; and the National 
Institutes of Health, the lead agency. Representatives of other agencies 
participate in the work of the committee on an ad hoc basis. 
Communications should be addressed to: 
Executive Director 
Interagency Primate Steering Committee 
NIH Building 31, Room 4B30 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
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