Last Updated on 4 hours ago by Vijay Kumar
William Herbert Foege, the renowned American physician and epidemiologist credited with devising the global vaccination strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox, died on January 24, 2026, at the age of 89 from congestive heart failure. His passing marks the loss of one of the foremost public health figures of the 20th century, whose work transformed global disease control efforts and saved millions of lives worldwide.
Foege’s career in public health was defined by innovation and leadership. Born on March 12, 1936, in Decorah, Iowa, he earned his medical degree from the University of Washington and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University before joining the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While working as chief of the CDC’s Smallpox Eradication Program, he developed the surveillance and ring vaccination strategy, which focused limited vaccine supplies on contacts of identified cases. This method proved more effective than mass vaccination and became the cornerstone of the global campaign to eradicate smallpox, culminating in the World Health Organization’s declaration of eradication in 1980.
In May 1977, Foege was appointed Director of the CDC, a position he held until 1983, guiding the agency through critical public health challenges. Beyond smallpox, he championed efforts to increase immunization rates in developing countries, helped accelerate campaigns against diseases like polio, measles, and river blindness, and co-founded The Task Force for Global Health in 1984 to extend health services to underserved communities.
He also served as executive director of The Carter Center, senior fellow with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and lectured widely on global health leadership. His contributions earned him numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Foege is survived by his wife, Paula Foege, and their children. The couple raised a family while he pursued a lifetime of public service; their eldest son predeceased him in 2007. Colleagues, global health leaders, and communities around the world remember him not only for his scientific brilliance but also for his compassion and relentless commitment to improving human health.
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