One year ago, Dr. Raj Panjabi was appointed by President Biden as the U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator. Now, the president has asked Dr. Panjabi to take a role as the Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense on the White House National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President.

As someone who survived malaria as a child and treated patients with malaria as a physician, Dr. Panjabi brought a unique perspective to the role of U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator. Passionate about building rural health systems and ending epidemics, during his tenure he:

  • Oversaw the successful launch of PMI’s 2021-2025 strategy, End Malaria Faster. The strategy boldly aims to greatly reduce malaria deaths and cases in countries that account for 80 percent of the world’s malaria burden — contributing to the global goals of saving more than 4 million lives and averting over 1 billion cases by 2025.

  • Led a shift in policy to allow PMI funds to be used to pay the salaries or stipends of community health workers who provide community-based malaria case management services as part of the package of services they deliver. Dr. Panjabi frequently advocated that every $1 invested in paying, training and equipping community health workers returns $10 to society in the form of extended life years, outbreaks prevented, and jobs created.

  • Served as Locally Led Development Champion for the Global Health Bureau. Dr. Panjabi was a fierce advocate for investing more boldly in proximity– the people and partners closest to the communities USAID serves. He was integral to launching GH’s Local Capacity Development webinar series that reached more than 300 participants from 57 different countries and 90 different organizations.

PMI is grateful for Dr. Panjabi and the energy and compassion he poured into everything he did. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with him in his new role at the White House.

Until a new Coordinator is appointed, Julie Wallace will serve as Acting U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator. Ms. Wallace has been with PMI from its very first days and has more than 25 years of international development and public health experience. Since April 2011 she has led the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative team within USAID’s Bureau for Global Health.