According to Friday reports from the White House, President Barack Obama has appointed the candid New York City Health Commissioner, Dr Thomas Frieden, as the new Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Frieden, who has a twelve-year experience of working at the CDC before taking over as Health Commissioner, will take over the reins of the agency in early June.

Meanwhile, Richard Besser - the acting CDC director - will resume his earlier role as head of the CDC's Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response.

Frieden, 48, who is famous for in NY City for his hard line, yet controversial at times, endeavors for restricting smoking and consumption of trans fats, has been described by President Obama as a connoisseur in preparing for and ably reacting to health emergencies.

In announcing Frieden's appointment, which does not necessitate Senate confirmation, the White House noted that the anti-cigarette crusade initiated by Frieden not only brought down the number of smokers in NY by 350,000, but also helped "cut teen smoking in half."

Under his seven-year tenure, the city has seen an increase in cancer screenings; and a significant reduction in fatal cases of AIDS virus. In addition, the implementation of "the largest community electronic health records project in the country" can also be rightly attributed to Frieden.