Dr. Anthony Fauci Is Stepping Down From His Public-Health Posts

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease official, will step down from heading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in December, he said in a statement released on Aug. 22. Fauci, 81, said he would also leave his role as chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. But Fauci, who has served as NIAID director since 1984—under seven presidents—said he is not retiring. “I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” he said. Fauci first made his mark on public health through his work fighting HIV/AIDS. He has turned down several offers to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH), explaining each time his desire to remain at NIAID—which is part of the NIH—until he felt more progress had been made in conquering HIV/AIDS. During his time at NIAID, HIV has changed from a death sentence into a chronic disease, thanks in part to his efforts in collaborating with AIDS activists and charting new paths for testing and approving anti-HIV drugs. Fauci was also instrumental in ensuring that HIV therapies reached underserved parts of the world that needed the drugs most by contributing to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under President George Bush. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Read More: Anthony Fauci Is Finally Getting to Do His Job The drug pathways he pioneered for HIV helped to speed up tria...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 healthscienceclimate Source Type: news