CATMAT's mandate is:

• 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;

• to suggest mechanisms for the widespread dissemination and utilization of such recommendations and other travel or tropical medicine-related health information; and

• to advise on priorities for epidemiological research and other activities related to travel or tropical medicine.

The current committee is comprised of experts from across Canada from such disciplines as tropical medicine, travel medicine, and infectious disease medicine and epidemiology.

CATMAT develops recommendations on:

• malaria prevention and treatment;

• the use of approved immunization products prior to travel;

• the use of biologics and other drugs to treat or prevent tropical diseases in the travellers;

• surveillance of tropical diseases acquired by Canadians travelling abroad;

• the dissemination of information and guidelines to Canadian health professionals, the Canadian travel industry, and the Canadian public; and

• the standards and quality of travel medicine advice provided to travellers in Canada.