In May 1980, the World Health Organization officially declared that smallpox had been eradicated from human existence — a disease that had killed approximately 300 million people in the twentieth cent
This article recounts the history of smallpox, focusing on its eradication in 1980 and the last naturally occurring case in 1977. It details the devastating impact the disease had on human history, including its role in demographic collapses and high mortality rates.
Why it matters
Understanding the history of smallpox eradication provides critical context for global public health efforts and the success of international medical cooperation.
The last person to catch smallpox naturally was a 23-year-old Somali hospital cook named Ali Maow Maalin, who was diagnosed on 26 October 1977 in the town of Merca on Somalia's Indian Ocean coast.
The content is a historical and scientific summary based on established medical records.
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