On 8 May 2020, WHO will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox. A smallpox commemorative postal stamp developed by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA), in collaboration with WHO, will be unveiled. The stamp serves to honour the millions of people working together, from world leaders and international organizations to rural doctors and community health workers to eradicate smallpox. It is the first and only human disease eradicated on a global scale through the collaboration of countries worldwide.
There are many lessons to learn from the eradication of smallpox that can help fight COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics.
Join the press briefing to learn more:
Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Smallpox Eradication
Date: 8 May 2020
Time: 17H00 CEST
Weblink for public:
Public- Multilingual player is here: www.who.int/COVID-19 or WHO corporate social media channels (Youtube, Facebook, Twitter/Periscope, Linkedin).
Speakers
- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
The stamp will be available for purchase at unstamps.org after the unveiling on 8 May 2020. The stamp can be used to mail postcards and letters around the world, provided that they are sent from the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva or Vienna respectively.
Significance
Smallpox is the first and only disease to be permanently eradicated worldwide. Until it was wiped out, smallpox had plagued humanity for at least 3 000 years, killing 300 million people in the 20th century alone, that is 4 million people annually.
In 1967, WHO launched the 10‐year Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme to concentrate on endemic countries. Efforts included surveillance, case finding, contact tracing, ring vaccination and communication campaigns to better inform affected populations. Numerous countries, such as Guinea, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Togo and others issued smallpox stamps to raise awareness about the eradication programme.
By 1973, the number of countries with smallpox had declined. The last variola major infection was recorded in Bangladesh in October 1975, and the last variola minor infection occurred two years later in Merka, Somalia on 26 October 1977. During the following two years, WHO teams searched the African continent for smallpox. No further cases were found. An unfortunate laboratory incident led to two cases in 1978, which in turn led to global efforts for additional containment.
On 9 December 1979, the members of the Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication signed their names to the statement that “smallpox has been eradicated from the world.” At the 33rd World Health Assembly, 8 May 1980, smallpox was officially endorsed as eradicated. The total cost of the Smallpox Eradication Programme was estimated at US$ 300 million. But the saving to the global economy is estimated at US$ 1bn a year.
Commemorating the 40th anniversary of smallpox eradication is a reminder of the power of international health cooperation to do significant and lasting good. Together in solidarity, we can beat COVID-19.
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2020/05/08/default-calendar/commemorating-the-40th-anniversary-of-smallpox-eradication?s=09
