On Friday, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control, Tom Frieden, was arrested over allegations of forcible touching, sex abuse, and harassment. Frieden was in charge of the CDC from 2009 and 2017 but resigned the day of President Trump’s inauguration.
“Frieden, who also is a former New York City health commissioner, surrendered to face charges that he grabbed the buttocks of a 55-year-old woman he knew in his home last October. The woman reported it in July, and he was taken into custody after an investigation.
A statement released Friday on behalf of Frieden said the allegation ‘does not reflect’ his ‘public or private behavior or his values.’ It notes his ‘lifetime of service to improve health around the world.'”1
As head of the CDC, Frieden was involved in the 2014 West African Ebola epidemic, as well helping the government of India implement a revised National Tuberculosis Control Program.
Friede is currently the president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a global health nonprofit. From 1996 – 2002, he worked as a medical officer for the World Health Organization.
After quitting the CDC in January 2017, Frieden launched an initiative backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called “Resolve,” which aims to save 100 million lives over the next 30 years by preventing heart attacks and strokes.
