USA- Anthony Fauci, MD, a prominent player in the U.S. effort to combat the coronavirus epidemic and advisor to seven presidents, has announced that he will step down from his roles in December.
He will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden.
He continued that he will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of his career.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Fauci has established himself as a familiar figure, combating false information, often coming from the highest echelons of government.
He became quite famous as a result of his unwavering dedication to science, which saw him take on former President Donald Trump on issues ranging from the usage of hydroxychloroquine to mask requirements.
The 81-year-old provided advice to seven American presidents including Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
He has served during various critical health moments including the HIV and AIDS pandemics, West Nile virus outbreaks, the 2001 anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza, many bird flu threats, Ebola, Zika, and, most recently, the covid and monkeypox outbreaks.
We will miss his leadership and at the same time, with great affection and support, look forward to the next phase of his career.
“After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” Fauci said in a statement.
He added that he wants to use what he has learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health.
He wants to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that he came to know Fauci as a dedicated public servant, and a steady hand with wisdom and insight honed over decades at the forefront of some of our most dangerous and challenging public health crises.
He added that when it came time to build a team to lead the COVID-19 response he immediately asked Dr. Fauci to extend his service as his Chief Medical Advisor to deal with the COVID-19 crisis the US nation faced.
He highlighted that Fauci’s commitment to the work is unwavering, and he does it with an unparalleled spirit, energy, and scientific integrity.
“We will miss his leadership and at the same time, with great affection and support, look forward to the next phase of his career,” said William Schaffner, Medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).
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