The improbable victory over smallpox holds lessons for health threats in 2024

Rahima Banu had the last recorded case of naturally occurring variola major smallpox, a deadly strain of the virus, in 1975. Smallpox was certified eradicated in 1980, but the disease’s twisty, storied history continues to inspire and provide direction for confronting public health threats.

Physician and podcaster Céline Gounder traveled to Bangladesh in 2022 to track down South Asian public health workers who were part of the battle to end smallpox nearly 50 years ago. Gounder’s field reporting resulted in an eight-episode limited-series audio documentary called ‘Epidemic: Eradicating Smallpox.’

During her travels to India and Bangladesh, Gounder met with aging smallpox workers, some in their 80s and 90s, who had played a crucial role in eradicating the disease. The podcast captures the remarkable achievements and challenges faced by these public health workers in South Asia, shedding light on a history that was in danger of being lost.

The smallpox eradication campaign in South Asia presented unique challenges due to dense urban slums, sparse rural villages, complicated geopolitics, corrupt governance, and punishing terrain. Despite these obstacles, the dedicated workers hunted down every last case of smallpox in the region and vaccinated everyone who had been exposed.

By documenting the stories of these unsung heroes, Gounder’s podcast aims to answer the question of how smallpox was defeated and what lessons that victory holds for addressing current health threats.