Expert Committees

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Responsibilities and Role of Expert Committees

These committees provide expertise as defined by the Charter on Health Expertise with the aim of producing an opinion, a recommendation, or an interpretation (data analysis) that will impact public policy (e.g., a plan, a regulatory measure, a prevention program, etc.) or a public health intervention (e.g., best-practice measures, management measures, etc.).

Members are selected following a public call for applications, based in particular on the information provided in the application materials, the candidates’ alignment with the required competencies, an analysis of conflicts of interest, and the necessary multidisciplinary and diverse composition of the group to address the full scope of the issue at hand.

The final opinion issued by Santé publique France incorporates the expert committee’s opinion or report, including the full rationale and scientific conclusions, on the basis of which the agency issues recommendations that help define options for management measures or actions to be implemented by public authorities.

The Scientific Council first reviews whether it is appropriate to establish an expert committee within Santé publique France. The expert committees report to the agency’s directorates, which provide scientific coordination and administrative support. The work is conducted according to a detailed expert review process and in accordance with the internal rules of procedure for the expert committees.

Each member of these committees must submit a public declaration of interests and adhere to Santé publique France’s ethical principles. As part of the system for managing and preventing conflicts of interest established by Santé publique France, any potential conflicts of interest involving committee members were verified before and during the committees’ work, and the necessary management measures were implemented. Declarations of interest are published on the DPI SANTE consultation website.

Opinions

The opinions and recommendations produced as part of the Agency’s expert work are available by clicking here.

Active committees

Committee of Experts on Health, Environment, and Labor

Appointed on December 8, 2022, for a three-year term by decision of the General Directorate of Santé publique France, the Health-Environment-Work (SET) Expert Committee’s primary mission is to issue opinions and recommendations aimed at protecting the health of populations exposed to environmental or occupational hazards.

It may be consulted by Santé publique France to:

  • issue an opinion on the actions to be taken following health or environmental events and/or on the appropriateness of initiating SET studies or surveillance programs, or even suspending them;

  • develop recommendations following the investigation of health signals or based on the results of SET studies or surveillance programs. These recommendations may be addressed to the Agency, as well as to the overseeing authority, to the bodies that refer matters to Santé publique France, or even to research teams.

It may be convened in connection with a specific case or based on a set of data. This may involve:

  • a set of results on a specific topic for which the Agency may wish to issue recommendations to the general public or public authorities;

  • a collection of requests or signals that raise questions about the need to conduct larger-scale studies in light of the increasing number of such signals.

It may include methodological work within its scope of investigation or even cross-cutting methodological considerations (related to methodological frameworks maintained by the agency or to cross-cutting analyses).

ALLES Benjamin, BEAUNE Xavier, BOELS David, DEMATTEI Christophe, DESQUEYROUX Hélène, DEWITTE Jean-Dominique, DUCA Radu, EDEY-GAMASSOU Claire, GISLARD Antoine, GLORENNEC Philippe, LERAY Fabrice, LEROYER Christophe, MARANO Francelyne (Vice President), MERCKEL Olivier, MUNOZ Jorge, PREVOT-CARPENTIER Muriel, SIMOS Jean (President).

Minutes of Decisions

Agency Opinion

National Expert Committee on Maternal Mortality

The Confidential National Survey on Maternal Mortality (ENCMM) was established in 1995 by Inserm. It is a system for monitoring maternal mortality in France with two objectives: first, an epidemiological goal of comprehensively identifying cases of maternal death; and second, an analysis of the care provided and the preventable circumstances that led to the death. This study is based on a specialized medical assessment of each case conducted by experts from the National Committee of Experts on Maternal Mortality (CNEMM).

The CNEMM was established by a decree of the Ministry of Health on May 2, 1995, with the mission of examining maternal deaths documented by the ENCMM, identifying the factors contributing to these deaths, and proposing preventive measures for the management of pregnancy and childbirth. Until 2006, when this decree was repealed, the CNEMM’s activities were under the direct supervision of the General Directorate of Health (DGS). Management was then entrusted to the Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) until 2011, and subsequently handled by the High Authority for Health (HAS) until 2014. In 2014, a decision by the DGS reinstated the InVS’s mandate to oversee the long-term system for in-depth study of maternal mortality in France.

Santé publique France assumed the secretariat of the CNEMM upon its creation in 2016; this is an expert committee, in accordance with its committee classification system. Every three years, this committee drafts the ENCMM report, which is published on the Santé publique France website; Santé publique France does not issue an opinion based on this report.

The committee is responsible for:

  • the confidential analysis, characterization, and classification of all maternal deaths in France, based on data from the National Confidential Survey on Maternal Deaths (ENCMM);

  • identifying the factors contributing to these deaths; proposing preventive measures regarding maternal mortality;

  • drafting a triennial report on the epidemiological profile and causes of maternal mortality, as well as trends in these areas.

BARROIS, Mathilde; BONNIN, Martine; BOZEC LE MOAL, Laurence; Marie Bruyère, Coralie Chiesa, Catherine Deneux-Tharaux, Michel Dreyfus, Catherine Fischer, Elisabeth Grossetti, Zina Hebbach, Elisabeth Iraola, Marie Jonard, Véronique Lejeune, Agnès RIGOUZZO, Mathias ROSSIGNOL, Florence SAUSSARD-EBOUE, Odile SOUCHAUD-DEBOUVERIE, Marie-Noëlle VACHERON, Eric VERSPYCK, Sylvie VIAUX-SAVELON.

For the year 2024: February 6, April 2, October 8, November 5, December 19

For 2025: February 12, March 14, April 1, May 13, June 3, July 8

Expert Committee on Congenital Anomalies

As part of its mission to “continuously monitor and observe the health status of the population,” Santé publique France monitors congenital anomalies, which are among the major determinants of perinatal and neonatal health. Congenital anomalies are, in fact, one of the leading causes of infant mortality, morbidity, and disability in industrialized countries for which data are available.

The epidemiological surveillance system for congenital anomalies relies on seven surveillance registries that collect data on cases of children with congenital anomalies, regardless of gestational age at birth. Santé publique France coordinates the national surveillance of congenital anomalies.

With a view to improving perinatal health and recommending measures to protect the health of women, newborns, and their families, a multidisciplinary expert committee was established in 2024 to:

  • formulate an opinion and recommendations on exceptional prioritization criteria justifying the investigation of a suspected spatio-temporal cluster;

  • develop recommendations for a work plan for the surveillance of congenital anomalies, in particular:

    • establish a standardized methodology for detecting changes in prevalence and issue recommendations on the interpretation of these prevalence trend results;

    • prioritize the groups or subgroups of congenital anomalies to be monitored at the national level within the SNDS.

ALESSANDRI Jean-Luc, ATTALLAH Anthony, BARJAT-RAIA Tiphanie, BEEKER Nathanaël, BENACHI Alexandra, BENETEAU Claire, BOGHOSSIAN Nansi, BROUGHAN Jennifer, DHOMBRES Ferdinand, DUBUCS-GAUTIER Charlotte, EDERY Patrick, GARNE Ester, JOHNSON Kathryn, KERMORVANT-DUCHEMIN Elsa, LESIEUR Emmanuelle, MARIN Benoit, NEMBHARD Wendy, PATRIER-SALLEBERT Sophie, PHILIPPAT Claire, ROMITTI Paul, SAINT FRISON Marie-Hélène

For the year 2024: April 8, October 7

For the year 2025: January 13, March 20, June 16, October 9 and 10

For the year 2026: March 26

Committees whose terms have expired

Expert Committee on Local Public Health Resources in Exceptional Public Health Situations

Established in 2017, the committee was reappointed in 2021 for a three-year term by decision of the Directorate General of Santé publique France; The Expert Committee on Public Health Resources in Exceptional Health Situations has as its primary mission to issue opinions and formulate technical and operational recommendations on response strategies and the necessary resources to continue preparing the health system for exceptional health situations. The committee’s term ended on July 31, 2024.

In particular, it may:

  • propose operational guidelines for the response of healthcare professionals in the event of exceptional public health situations, particularly regarding the care of victims;

  • evaluate the resources and response methods of healthcare professionals put in place to address public health emergencies;

  • make recommendations regarding the material resources that could be made available to healthcare professionals to address exceptional public health situations;

  • propose guidelines for the use of this equipment and assess the training needs of healthcare professionals;

  • contribute to the collection and dissemination of best practices and information derived from French and international research and development in this field;

  • propose response measures for exceptional health situations (whether of civilian or military origin, natural, accidental, or malicious).

The scope of the expert committee covers, in particular, the following types of equipment:

  • mobile medical stations (PSM):

    • Level 1 PSMs for treating 25 victims,

    • Level 2 PSMs for treating 500 victims,

    • pediatric MSUs capable of treating 25 pediatric patients,

    • Overseas Territories (DOM) MSUs adapted to the specific needs of overseas territories, capable of treating 400 victims;

  • personal protective equipment;

  • detection, protection, and decontamination equipment;

  • telecommunications equipment;

  • mobile transport and backup ventilators for healthcare facilities;

  • and any other items likely to constitute an effective countermeasure in exceptional public health situations, enabling an early response to rapidly strengthen pre-hospital response capabilities to address a nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical, or explosive incident.

BALLAND, Olivier; BERNIGAUD, Emmanuel; BERTRAND, Catherine; BOUTOT, Françoise; BRILLOIT CHEVALLIER, Christine; Hélène CHAPPUY, Hélène COIGNARD-BIEHLER, Nicolas DECROUY, Agnès DELAVAL-CHEMINOT, Cyril DESANLIS, Pedro DO MONTE, Christian FAVIER, Stéphane GILLET, Jean-Baptiste GUIMIER, Denis JOSSE, Henri Julien, Stéphane Kirche, Aurélie Le Bagousse-Bernard, François Loubignac, Bruno Megarbane, Isabelle Petitjean, Emmanuel Pierantoni, François Pons, Alaa Ramdani, Anne Raynaud-Lambinet, Sylvain Rigal, François Soupizet, Caroline Telion,
François Van Heems, Benoit Vivien (chair), Maylis Walckenaer.