Dr. Tom Frieden is a physician specializing in internal medicine, infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology. He was director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New York City Health Commissioner, and helped start Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s global health philanthropy, particularly the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
Dr. Frieden is the founder and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a global health organization that accelerates action against the world’s deadliest health threats. The organization has partnered with countries around the world to support implementation of programs that will prevent more than 9 million deaths.
His work has appeared in medical journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and The Lancet as well as media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
As Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Frieden led work that ended the Ebola epidemic, launched an initiative that will prevent 500,000 heart attacks and strokes, and accelerated progress in addressing the opioid crisis. He also increased effective action on the front lines to find and fight winnable battles and protect and improve health in the United States and around the world 2009-2017.
As the first Director of International Health Programs of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Dr. Frieden designed and launched the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, a program that has prevented more than 35 million deaths around the world 2006-2009, pro bono.
As Health Commissioner, Dr. Frieden led health transformation in New York City, increasing life expectancy by 3 years, preventing more than 100,000 deaths from smoking, and spurring national and global action on, among other areas, better epidemiologic understanding and control of public health problems including HIV, tobacco control, nutrition, as well as the integration of health care and public health 2002-2009.
As Medical Officer, Tuberculosis Control for the World Health Organization (WHO) , Dr. Frieden guided the Indian tuberculosis control program to improve diagnosis and treatment rapidly, creating the largest and fastest effective tuberculosis control program in the world and saving at least 3 million lives 1996-2002.
As Assistant Commissioner of Health and Director, Bureau of Tuberculosis Control for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Frieden led the response to the largest outbreak of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in U.S. history. He created a tuberculosis control program that is a model for the United States and the world with intensive community outreach, clinical excellence, integration of health care and public health, data-driven analysis, and rigorous accountability 1990-1996.
He holds honorary doctorates from New York University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Oglethorpe University, Oberlin College, and Tufts University.
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