Dr. William Foege, Leader in Smallpox Eradication, Dies

Dr. William Foege, a towering figure in public health and a central architect of the global eradication of smallpox, died at age 89. As a young physician working in Nigeria, Foege helped pioneer the “ring containment” strategy—using rapid case detection and targeted vaccination to stop outbreaks when vaccine supplies were limited.

That evidence-based, surveillance-driven approach became pivotal to eliminating one of history’s deadliest diseases, with the World Health Organization declaring smallpox eradicated in 1980. Foege later served as CDC director and held leadership roles across global health institutions, shaping generations of public health practice through science, collaboration, and equity-driven impact. Read more from ABC News here.