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By WHO Region | Africa: Eastern & Southern

Summary & Regional Information

For more information, see:
Smallpox and Its Eradication (Fenner et al, WHO, 1988)

Summary of Smallpox Status

Country Last endemic case Importations during SEP Certification Method Document
Angola1 1959 None 16 Feb 1979 International Commission Afr/Smallpox/89
Botswana2 1964, 1973 1967, 1971; none post-1973 23 Mar 1979 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/90
Burundi 1970 None post-1970 30 Jun 1977 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/86
Congo, Dem Rep (Zaire)3 1971 None post-1971 30 Jun 1977 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/86
Kenya 1969 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977 19 Oct 1979 International Commission WHO/SE/79.149
Lesotho 1962 None 23 Mar 1979 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/90
Malawi 1971 None post-1971 29 Mar 1978 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/87
Mozambique1 1969 None post-1969 29 Mar 1978 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/87
Rwanda 1970 None post-1970 30 Jun 1977 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/86
Swaziland 1966 None 23 Mar 1979 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/90
Tanzania 1970 None post-1970 29 Mar 1978 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/87
Uganda 1968 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 27 Oct 1978 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/88
Zambia 1968 1970 29 Mar 1978 International Commission AFR/Smallpox/87
Madagascar pre-1918 None Dec 1979 Detailed country report WHO/SE/79.152
Namibia (South-West Africa)4 pre-1955 None 7 Dec 1978 Visit and detailed country report WHO/SE/132 pp 3,21
South Africa4 1971 1972 Dec 1979 Visit and detailed country report WHO/SE/79.152
Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia)5 1970 None post-1970 7 Dec 1978 Visit and detailed country report WHO/SE/132 pp 3,21
  1. Angola and Mozambique were not independent states until 1975—they were Overseas Protectorates of Portugal. Both had been engaged in engaged in civil wars for independence since the early 1960s. Contact had to be made through the health authorities in Lisbon, where smallpox eradication was of little significance.
  2. Botswana, which had last reported cases in 1964, experienced a major epidemic beginning in 1972 but interrupted transmission in 1973.
  3. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was renamed Zaire in 1971, and changed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997.
  4. South Africa, a WHO Member State, had been deprived of its WHO voting rights and services in 1964. It stopped its annual contribution and its attendance at the World Health Assembly. Communication between South Africa and WHO all but ceased. Because South Africa administered Namibia (South-West Africa until 1968), communication with that jurisdiction was also affected.
  5. Southern Rhodesia, administered by the United Kingdom, was an Associate Member of WHO represented by the UK until 1965, when its WHO rights were suspended on UK initiative. Official communication had to conducted through London, but there was little official contact between the UK and Southern Rhodesia. Southern Rhodesia was renamed Zimbabwe when it became indenpendent in 1980.