By Nasir Isa
Seventy-nine years old Dr. Anthony Fauci has been awarded the Time Magazine’s Guardian of the Year for 2020. He won the award jointly with some prominent frontline health workers across the world.
Dr. Fauci was selected for his consistent role in providing the leadership and correct messages with empathy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for protecting the integrity of science despite facing onslaught from the powers that be.
The 79-year old Fauci is the longest serving Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of National Institute of Health. He was first appointed as the Director of the organization during the admiration of President Ronald Reagan, about 4 decades ago.
Dr. Fauci was described one of the most universally admired infectious-disease experts in the world, and is considered as the America’s topmost expert of infectious diseases. He has proven over the time that he would be in the fore forefront for the health of American citizens.
Dr. Fauci is known for his consistentcy. He drew the ire of critics and even LGBTQ community in the early days of HIV for his professional stand, but later became their favorite for how he transformed the seemingly incurable disease to be just like any other manageable bchronic disease. He is credited as the brain behind the President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), during the administration of President George Bush jnr, which turned out to be the most impactful foreign aide programme.
