Thread by @rajpanjabi

After being sworn in this morning, I'm honored to share that I've been appointed by @POTUS as the President’s Malaria Coordinator to lead the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (@PMIgov). I'm grateful for this chance to serve. My reflections on my first day in office:👇

My family and I arrived in America 30 years ago after fleeing civil war in Liberia. A community of Americans rallied around my family to help us build back our lives. It's an honor to serve the country that helped build back my own life as part of the Biden-Harris Administration.

In the face of unprecedented crises, I am humbled by the challenges our country and our world faces to build back better. But as I have learned in America: we are not defined by the conditions we face, we are defined by how we respond.

As a doctor and public health professional that has cared for patients alongside staff @PMIgov, @USAID, and @CDCgov and our partners, I've been inspired by how they've responded to fight malaria, one of the oldest and deadliest pandemics, and saved lives around the world.

As it is for many of my colleagues, this mission is personal for me. My grandparents and parents were infected with malaria while living in India. As a child in Liberia, I fell sick with malaria, and as a doctor serving in Africa, I have seen this disease take too many lives.

I've seen how @PMIgov and its partners have responded, with resolve, in the countries where it operates. I've seen the relief on the faces of parents whose children survived malaria because they were treated with medicines and by health workers backed by its support.

And I've seen how @PMIgov, @USAID, @CDCgov investments to fight malaria can strengthen health systems where they are weak -- helping stop other epidemics at their source and keeping us all safer.

I'm privileged to serve with and learn from the teams @PMIgov, @USAID, @CDCGov and our partners. Together, we will fight malaria. We will save lives. We will build health systems. And, together, we will work to eliminate malaria once and for all.