In the early 20th century, smallpox was still responsible for hundreds of millions of deaths worldwide. In 1979, after a decades-long global vaccination initiative, the WHO declared smallpox as completely eradicated from the earth (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002).
Unfortunately, the optimism created by the successful eradication of smallpox and the application of penicillin and other antibiotics has not translated into other similar public health successes. Malaria remains a major killer globally, and eradicating it would be a major public health achievement. Polio continues to pose an intractable challenge, in spite of concerted global efforts directed at its eradication. Can malaria and polio be eradicated?
What new tools and approaches are needed to address contemporary public health challenges?