PATH congratulates Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald on her appointment as the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Today, President Trump appointed Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, who currently serves as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health and state health officer, as the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Fitzgerald will take the helm at CDC at a time when global health challenges in the form of emerging infectious disease outbreaks, such as Ebola and Zika and antimicrobial resistance, pose direct threats to the health and security of Americans, and place added burdens on our national and state health systems.

A statement from Dr. David Fleming, PATH's vice president of Public Health and chair of the Advisory Committee to the Director of the CDC follows:

"PATH congratulates Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald on her appointment as director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Fitzgerald brings to this position decades of experience in managing public health policy and practice and a deep professional background in women's health care. More than ever, CDC plays a critical role in safeguarding both US and global health, providing technical assistance to partner countries to help prevent, detect, and respond to future outbreaks before they spread, and scaling up immunizations and other critical public health interventions that save millions of lives every year. PATH looks forward to working with Dr. Fitzgerald, the Trump Administration, and Congress to ensure continued strong, bipartisan support for CDC's work to advance global health security."

Posted July 6, 2017.