Feb 8, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Top NSC global health official to depart White House

Zachary Basu

White House — Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Beth Cameron, the National Security Council's senior director for global health security and biodefense, will be leaving her position this spring, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Cameron joined the Biden administration to help re-establish the Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense, which former Trump national security adviser John Bolton had folded into another office as part of an effort to streamline the NSC.

Cameron played an early role in shaping White House policy for what President Biden had deemed his No. 1 priority on the campaign trail: defeating the pandemic.
She's departing the White House later than scheduled after being asked to extend her initial nine-month commitment to set up the office, and will be replaced by Raj Panjabi, the global malaria coordinator at USAID.

What they're saying: "Dr. Beth Cameron will be departing NSC this spring. Dr. Cameron was a key member of the of the Day One team to re-establish her former office and help build the U.S. global COVID-19 response and strengthen biosecurity," NSC spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement.

"Dr. Cameron will remain at the NSC into the spring to ensure strong continuity of effort."
A White House official added: "Beth has been an amazing leader, dating back to the transition. She’s smart, effective, and a great colleague. She’ll be missed — but we're all grateful she extended her timeline and helped identify a strong successor on this crucial account."

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Scoop: Top NSC global health official to depart White House

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