President Barack Obama has named Thomas Frieden, an expert in international public health and infectious diseases, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The appointment, announced on Friday 15 May, does not need Senate approval, and Dr Frieden will join the CDC in Atlanta early next month.

President Obama praised Dr Frieden for his efforts to reduce the prevalence of smoking, increase screening for cancer, reduce numbers of deaths from AIDS, and implement electronic medical records.

He said, “America relies on a strong public health system, and the work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is critical to our mission to preserve and protect the health and safety of our citizens.”

Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), called the appointment …