Connecting national work into a global campaign
Smallpox spread between people and had long caused death and disability. Vaccination offered protection, but reaching populations and finding cases required organized work. In 1967, WHO intensified its global eradication programme. National health services and international teams combined vaccination, investigation and reporting, supported by vaccine production, quality testing, supplies and the training of local staff.
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Finding cases and containing transmission
Health workers searched for people with fever and rash, verified cases and traced contacts. Vaccination and observation around a case concentrated resources near a chain of transmission. Village searches, rewards for reports and communication between districts helped uncover missed infections. Vaccination and surveillance worked together as the campaign increasingly focused on locating the remaining sources of infection.
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The last cases and global certification
Somalia recorded the last naturally acquired case in 1977. Searches continued, and the certification work also addressed laboratory-associated infections before the final declaration. International commissions examined national records and field investigations, assessing evidence that natural transmission had ended. In December 1979, the Global Commission signed its conclusion on eradication and submitted the accumulated evidence for consideration by the World Health Assembly.
The declaration of 8 May 1980
On 8 May 1980, the Thirty-third World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA33.3 declaring global eradication. It recognized national and international contributions and addressed post-eradication work involving vaccines, laboratories and records. Case registration, local cooperation, transport and international coordination had all supported the achievement. The declaration entered the verified end of natural transmission into WHO’s official record.