WHO posted The Smallpox Eradication Programme – SEP (1966-1980), an archive and photo gallery marking the 30th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox. Smallpox was officially declared eradicated in 1980 and is the first disease to have been fought on a global scale. This extraordinary achievement was accomplished through the collaboration of countries around the world.
At the end of the 1960s, smallpox was still endemic in Africa and Asia. Vaccination campaigns, surveillance and prevention measures aimed to contain epidemic hotspots and to better inform affected populations. All these strategies were used to combat the disease.
The photographs presented in the galleries below illustrate the various activities carried out to eradicate smallpox around the world. They show how the same eradication methods and strategies were repeated in very different countries around the globe.
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 