Anthony Fauci to step down from government in December

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert and chief White House medical adviser, will step down from government after nearly a half century of service, including guidance through the Covid-19 pandemic, in December.

The 81-year-old director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has led the agency since 1984. He first joined the government organisation’s umbrella agency the National Institutes of Health in 1968.

He remained with President Joe Biden’s administration as its chief medial adviser following the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 during the Trump administration.

“Because of Dr Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved,” President Biden said in a statement on 22 August.

“As he leaves his position in the US Government, I know the American people and the entire world will continue to benefit from Dr Fauci’s expertise in whatever he does next,” he added. “Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work. I extend my deepest thanks for his public service. The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.”

The departure of Dr Fauci, who has counselled seven presidencies since Ronald Reagan, was not unexpected; he has previously announced plans to leave the Biden administration before the end of his first term, ending a government career in public health that spanned high-profile responses to the AIDS crisis and Covid-19.

This is a developing story