Honoring William Foege, MD, MPH: The Architect of Smallpox Eradication and Modern Outbreak Control

The global public health community is mourning the loss of William Foege, MD, MPH, a physician, epidemiologist, and visionary whose work helped eradicate smallpox and reshaped how the world responds to infectious disease threats. Foege died on January 24, 2026, at age 89, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence outbreak response, vaccination strategy, and global health leadership.

“Dr William Foege’s legacy reminds us that infection prevention is both a science and a moral responsibility,” said Priya Pandya-Orozco, DPN, MSN, RN, PHN, CIC, LTC-CIP, director of infection and control for the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare System, and a member of the Infection Control Today^®’s (ICT’s^®) Editorial Advisory Board (EAB). “His leadership showed the world that thoughtful surveillance, community partnership, and courageous decision-making can change the course of history. As infection preventionists, we continue to build on the systems he helped envision by protecting lives through precision, prevention, and purpose.”

Foege served as director of the CDC from 1977 to 1983, guiding the agency through a period of scientific growth and emerging global threats. Yet his most enduring contribution came earlier, during his work in Nigeria as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer in the 1960s, when he helped develop and apply the surveillance-containment or ring vaccination strategy that ultimately made smallpox eradication possible.

“William Foege helped end smallpox by redefining how outbreaks are detected, contained, and stopped—an approach that still shapes global health today.” Tabrikah Mohammed, BSN, MSC, TQM, CIC, CPHQ, FAPIC, senior infection control Officer at the National Rehabilitation Center—UAE, in Abu Dhabi, and another member of ICT’s EAB.

At a time when mass vaccination was considered the only viable approach, Foege and colleagues faced a harsh reality: There simply was not enough vaccine. Rather than abandon the effort, they focused on identifying cases quickly and vaccinating contacts and surrounding communities. The approach worked. Smallpox transmission collapsed rapidly in affected regions, proving that precision, community engagement, and epidemiologic insight could outperform brute-force methods.

“Bill's contributions to the eradication of smallpox stand as one of the most extraordinary achievements in medicine and epidemiology,” said Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, according to CIDRAP. “Under his guidance, a disease that once claimed millions of lives was brought to an end not through brute force, but through ingenuity, scientific rigor, and a profound commitment to protecting the world’s most vulnerable.”

Before eradication was declared in 1980 by the World Health Organization, smallpox killed an estimated 300 million people in the twentieth century alone. The final naturally occurring cases were recorded in Somalia in 1977, a milestone that remains one of the greatest achievements in public health history. (Editor’s note: In this link, you can hear Foege discuss his firsthand experience with the eradication of smallpox.)

After leaving the CDC, Foege continued to shape global health. He cofounded the Task Force for Global Health, led the Carter Center as executive director, advised the Gates Foundation, and served as a professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. His work contributed to dramatic reductions in childhood vaccine-preventable diseases and helped push Guinea worm disease to the brink of eradication.

He also wrote a book titled House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallbox, published in 2011. Later he wrote Change Is Possible: Reflections on the History of Global Health, published in 2024.

Equally important was Foege’s role as a mentor. Colleagues consistently describe him as a moral compass for public health, reminding practitioners that disease prevention is not just technical work, but a moral obligation.

For all his work, he received the 2007 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Humanitarian Contributions to the Health of Humankind. In 2012, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama.

Foege often emphasized that smallpox eradication was not an accident, but the result of intentional, coordinated action. His life stands as enduring proof that thoughtful surveillance, strong systems, and collective commitment can change the trajectory of human health.

"In a time of uncertainty and doubts about the effectiveness of vaccines, Dr. Foege’s legacy reminds us that the greatest breakthroughs in public health come when science is paired with ethical and common-sense measures,” said Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA, the 2024 ICT Educator of the Year award recipient and a new member of ICT’s EAB. “His influence will be felt in outbreak response and vaccination strategy for generations to come."