Ashish Jha, a person of Indian origin living in the United States and a physician, has been appointed the new White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, President Joe Biden said in a statement on Thursday. Jha will replace Jeff Zeints.
“Dr Jha is one of the leading public health experts in America, and a well known figure to many Americans from his wise and calming public presence,” Biden said. “And as we enter a new moment in the pandemic – executing on my National Covid-19 Preparedness Plan and managing the ongoing risks from Covid-19 – Dr Jha is the perfect person for the job.”
Jha is the Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and is an expert in infectious diseases. He has worked on the ebola virus and was the co-chair of a commission to tackle an outbreak of the disease in West Africa in 2014.
Jha was born in Bihar in 1970, moved to Canada in 1979 and then to the US in 1983. He completed his general medicine fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School and received his master of public health degree in 2004 from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
In a series of tweets, Jha said he is honoured to have the opportunity to serve as the Covid-19 response chief.
“This president has spoken the truth about this virus,” he wrote. “Has prioritised policies based on science and evidence. Americans are going back to work and school. And it is an honor to work under his leadership.”
Jha also praised Zeints for his leadership, saying that the US is in a better place now in terms of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
The 51-year-old warned that the world is not done with the pandemic yet. There could be a surge in infections or new virus variants might emerge.
“So we have some work to do my friends,” Jha said. “As much as I wish otherwise, the pandemic is not over. So let’s keep our eye on the ball. Prepare for surges and variants. Work to ensure that schools, work, and other places of gathering remain safe. Vaccinate the world.”
In his statement, the president also said that the US administration’s work to combat the coronavirus disease is not done.
“We must continue the effort to provide more vaccines and boosters,” he said. “We must get a vaccine approved for the youngest children. We must continue to improve how our schools and workplaces cope with Covid-19. We must take special care to protect the vulnerable from Covid-19, even as many restrictions are lifted.”
Biden added that the US has to fight the infection overseas and prepare for new waves and variants, adding that Jha would lead the country in this effort.
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