Dr. Kenneth Staley has just been appointed as the new head of the US Presidential Malaria Initiative, succeeding Tim Ziemer who led the PMI for so many years. This is probably the most important position in global malaria control, and we wish Dr. Staley all the best.
Since the Trump administration came into office, there are real uncertainties about the long-standing US Presidential Malaria Initiaitive (the PMI), which I helped start in 2005. Firstly, the Administrator Tim Ziemer, who has given the Initiative real stability for 8 years, has resigned. Secondly it appears that the very conservative Newt Gingrich will take over USAID which funds the PMI within the US State Department. Gingrich is opposed to USAID and might dismantle it. Fortunately the new US Secty of State Rex Tillerson has gone on record as favoring the health programs of USAID.
