Murthy told the Senate panel he would focus on community health prevention projects, especially combating obesity, and not primarily on political issues. "The role is not to be a legislator or a judge," he said. "The role is to be a public health educator."

Murthy said he believed the surgeon general should focus on areas where there is broad agreement, including prevention of chronic diseases, efforts to curb smoking, and programmes to improve diets.

He also said he would try to work at the community level, recruiting religious groups and even arts organizations into public health education programs.

As the U.S. Surgeon General, Murthy will be the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the US and the operational head of the 6,500-strong U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the seven uniformed services including army, navy, air force and marines.

A graduate of Yale University, where he earned a medical degree and an MBA, he will also be the youngest person to hold the office established in 1871.

Murthy's resume includes founding two other organizations: Visions Worldwide, a nonprofit group dedicated to HIV and AIDS education, and TrialNetworks, a software company focused on making drug development and clinical trials more efficient.
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