The CDC/USAID West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program (1966-1972) addressed smallpox eradication in a block of 20 independent countries of Western and Central Africa. Many were newly independent. They included 13 former French colonies (the Central African Republic, Chad, the Congo, Dahomey (became Benin in 1975), the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo, and Upper Volta (became Burkina Faso in 1984)) in which French was the common language, and 5 countries where English was the common language (the Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone); Cameroon used both French and English. Equatorial Guinea joined the program after independence from Spain in 1968. Guinea-Bissau did not obtain independence until 1974, after the program had ended.
For more information on the CDC/AID West Africa program, see Smallpox and its Eradication, chapter 17.
Many of the documents relating to the CDC/AID West Africa Program were inadvertently destroyed during a government paperwork reduction initiative in the early 1980s. Surviving program-wide documentation and reports include the following:
Annual World Health Day Presidential Statement (7 Apr 1965). Preparatory memos and drafts
World Health Assembly statement (18 May 1965) "to show [President Johnson's] interest in international cooperation"
14 & 17 May 1965. Draft statement and amendment
18 May 1965. Press release
DA Henderson notes: At this time, USAID was proposing to make measles vaccine only available in 9 West African countries. The US commitment to smallpox came in November 1965 and had a different origin! Note also that the WHA pledge of assistance is only to help Latin America. A year later, when the key vote was taken in the Assembly, the US did not support the smallpox eradication program.
Don't miss these rare early documents!
1966. Memorandum. Tour report: West Africa, 18 November-17 December, 1965.
[Henry M Gelfand. 11 Jan 1966]
1966. Project for Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in 19 Countries of West Africa. Draft.
[21 Jan 1966]
1966. West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program. Surveillance Report No. 1. CDC #21415
[Leo Morris. 1 Aug 1966]
1966. Professional staff. Smallpox Eradication Program. 10 Aug 1966
1966. Regional Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Africa. (FY 1967 - 1971).
[Document for press and public. Communicable Disease Center/Agency for International Development. Late 1966]
1966. A program for smallpox eradication and measles control throughout West Africa. J Int Health 2, 24-33.
[Gelfand HM, Henderson DA]
1966. West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program. Surveillance Report No. 2. CDC #21416
[Statistics Unit, Smallpox Eradication Program. 1 Sep 1966]
1966. West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program Manual of Operations. CDC #21418
[1 Oct 1966]
1966. West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program. Surveillance Report No. 3. CDC #21417
[Leo Morris. 1 Oct 1966]
1966. Memo. Status Report #1
[JD Millar (Chief, SEP) to Chief, CDC. 7 Dec 1966]
1966. West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program. Surveillance Report No. 5.CDC #21409
[Leo Morris. 15 Dec 1966]
1966. Memo. Status Report #2
[JD Millar (Chief, SEP) to Chief, CDC. 16 Dec 1966]
1967. Memo. Status Report #3
[JD Millar (Chief, SEP) to Chief, CDC. 18 Jan 1967]
1967. Memorandum. Status report as of Feb 20, 1967.
[George Lythcott. Feb 23 1967]
1967. West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program. Surveillance Report No. 6. CDC #21410
[Leo Morris. 17 Mar 1967]
1967. Memo. Status Report #4
[JD Millar (Chief, SEP) to Chief, CDC. 27 Mar 1967]
1967. Regional project office and field monthly report no. 3. CDC #21412
[12 Apr 1967]
1967. West Africa Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program. Surveillance Report No. 7. CDC #21411
[Leo Morris. 24 Apr 1967]
1967. Regional project office and field monthly report no. 4. CDC #21413
[12 May 1967]
1967. The SEP Report. Volume I, Number 1. June 1967. CDC #21203
1967. The SEP Report. Volume I, Number 2. Sep 1967. CDC #21204
1967. The SEP Report. Volume I, Number 3. Nov 1967. CDC #21205
1968. Smallpox Surveillance Report: West and Central Africa. No. 3.
[Reprinted from: WER 27:342-3. 05 Jul 1968]
1968. The SEP Report. Volume II, Number 3. Jul 1968. CDC #21206
1968. Smallpox Surveillance Report: West and Central Africa. No. 7.
[Reprinted from: WER 35:444-7. 30 Aug 1968]
1968. The SEP Report. Volume II, Number 5. Oct 1968. CDC #21207
1968. Cultural resistance to smallpox vaccination. WHO/SE/68.4.
[B Challenor]
1969. The SEP Report. Volume III, Number 1. Feb 1969. CDC #21208
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: West and Central Africa—Surveillance and containment programme. Strategy of the smallpox eradication programme. No. 23.
Reprinted from: WER 18:297-303. 02 May 1969]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
Selected papers. For a complete listing, see the Conference proceedings.
1969. The SEP Report. Volume III, Number 3. Oct 1969. CDC #21251
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: West and Central Africa. No. 34.
Reprinted from: WER 48:645-9. 28 Nov 1969]
1970. The SEP Report. Volume IV, Number 4. Jul 1970
1970. Problems of border areas in West Africa. Extracted from WHO/SE/71.30 p52-8.
[WH Foege; Inter-Regional Seminar on Surveillance and Assessment in Smallpox Eradication, New Delhi, India, 30 Nov-5 Dec 1970]
1972. Persistence of facial scars of smallpox in West African populations. WHO/SE/72.34.
[SO Foster]
1972. Potency and stability characteristics of smallpox vaccine used in the smallpox eradication programme in Western and West-central Africa. WHO/SE/72.49.
[A Bernstein, MZ Bierly Jr. International Symposium on Smallpox Vaccine, Bilthoven, The Netherlands, 11-13 Oct 1972. Also published in RH Regamey, H Cohen (eds). Symp Series Immunobiol Stand 19:157-165. 1973]
1976. Monkeypox and white poxviruses in West and Central Africa. WHO/SE/76.78.
[I Arita, DA Henderson]
1979. Human monkeypox in West Africa. WER 2:12-3.
[Case in Nigeria and area summary. 12 Jan 1979]
1979. Smallpox Surveillance Report: Human monkeypox in West Africa. No. 146. Reprinted from: WER 16:123-5.
[20 Apr 1979]
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1969. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: West and Central Africa. Recent outbreak—Dahomey. No. 34.
Reprinted from: WER 48:645-9. 28 Nov 1969]
1975. Country Report: Benin. SE/WP/75.10.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1968. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1967. Assessment by market surveys—Upper Volta, Ivory Coast. SE/SR/67.2.
[CDC; in: Smallpox eradication surveillance report. No. 2, Dec 1967 (not distributed)]
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: Outbreaks: Mali/Upper Volta border. No. 20. Reprinted from: WER 12:205-11.
[21 Mar 1969]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1975. Country Report: Upper Volta. SE/WP/75.8.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1968. Importations during SEP: 1969. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 30 Jun 1977.
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: Outbreaks in non-endemic countries—Cameroon. No. 18. Reprinted from: WER 8:150-8.
[Outbreak in January reported; first cases since June 1968; 21 Feb 1969]
Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1963. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 30 Jun 1977.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1965. Importations during SEP: 1967, 1968. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 30 Jun 1977.
1967. Epidemiological Notes. Smallpox. WER 14:175.
[Importation from Nigeria. First case reported since 1965. 7 Apr 1967]
1967. Epidemiological Notes. Smallpox. WER 37:424.
[First non-imported cases reported since 1965. 9 Sep 1967]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1965. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 30 Jun 1977.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1971. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 30 Jun 1977.
1968. Status of Smallpox Eradication Activities. Country: RD Congo. SE/68.11
[Kinshasa, 19-26 November 1968]
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report. No. 31. Reprinted from: WER 39:557-61.
[26 Sep 1969]
1971. Smallpox Surveillance Report. No. 61. Reprinted from: WER 33:348-52.
[13 Aug 1971]
1972. Smallpox Surveillance Report. No. 69. Reprinted from: WER 10:109-13.
[10 Mar 1972]
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1960. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 30 Jun 1977.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1965. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 30 Jun 1977.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1966. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1975. Country Report: The Gambia. SE/WP/75.11.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1967. Importations during SEP: 1968. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1964. Smallpox eradication programme in Ghana. . Smallpox/WP/20.
[FC Grant; Expert Committee on Smallpox, Geneva, 14-20 January 1964]
1965. Variolation in Ghana..
[In: Scott D, 1965. Epidemic Disease in Ghana 1901-1960, London, Oxford University Press, pp 83-4.]
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: Outbreaks in non-endemic countries—Ghana. No. 18. Reprinted from: WER 8:150-8.
[Outbreak in Dec-Jan 1968 reported; first cases since July 1968. 21 Feb 1969]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1969. Field investigation of an outbreak of smallpox at Bawku, Ghana: May- October 1967. WHO/SE/69.8.
[V de Sario]
1975. Country Report: Ghana. SE/WP/75.12.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1968. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1975. Country Report: Guinea. SE/WP/75.1.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1957. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1975. Country Report: Guinea-Bissau. SE/WP/75.15.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1966. Importations during SEP: 1967. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1967. Epidemiological Notes. Smallpox. WER 14:175.
[Smallpox death reported; first case since 1965. 7 Apr 1967]
1967. Assessment by market surveys—Upper Volta, Ivory Coast. SE/SR/67.2.
[CDC; in: Smallpox eradication surveillance report. No. 2, Dec 1967 (not distributed)]
1969. Smallpox eradication in Africa: Principles for action in the maintenance phase.
[B Binson. Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969. NCDC, The SEP Report, Vol IV, No 2. Proceedings - Part II]
1975. Country Report: Ivory Coast. SE/WP/75.2.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1968. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1971. The SEP Report. Special report: Human infection with monkeypox: Liberia and Sierra Leone. Volume V, Number 1
[Feb 1971]
1975. Country Report: Liberia. SE/WP/75.9
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1968. Importations during SEP: 1969. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: Outbreaks: Mali/Upper Volta border. No. 20. Reprinted from: WER 12:205-11.
[21 Mar 1969]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1975. Country Report: Mali. SE/WP/75.3.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1962. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1975. Country Report: Mauritania. SE/WP/75.13.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1968. Importations during SEP: 1969. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Assessment of Phase I of the Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program of Niger.
[Ralph Henderson. 8-22 Jan 1969]
1969. Notes from Niger
[Dr Christopher D’Amanda's personal account of taking part in the assessment above. Written in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) in 1969; edited in Philadelphia 2006 for the 40th reunion of the CDC West Africa Smallpox/Measles Program.]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1975. Country Report: Niger. SE/WP/75.14.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1970. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1967. A pilot assessment project—Kano, Nigeria. SE/SR/67.2.
[EA Smith, PO Adeoye, CJ Jones; in: Smallpox eradication surveillance report. No. 2, Dec 1967 (not distributed)]
1968. Faith Tabernacle smallpox epidemic, Abakaliki, Nigeria. WHO/SE/68.3.
[D Thompson
W Foege]
1968. Characteristics of an epidemic of smallpox, Gerere Hamlet, Nigeria--1968. WHO/SE/68.5.
[J Pifer
CL Adeoye]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1970. Smallpox Surveillance Report. No. 43. Reprinted from: WER 26:278-82.
[26 Jun 1970]
1970. Recurrence of smallpox in Nigeria 1970. Extracted from WHO/SE/71.30 p45-51.
[WH Foege; Inter-Regional Seminar on Surveillance and Assessment in Smallpox Eradication, New Delhi, India, 30 Nov-5 Dec 1970]
1975. Country Report: Nigeria. SE/WP/75.4.
1976. Freedom from smallpox. Case histories on four countries where cases were missed for extended periods. WHO/SE/76.85.
[DA Henderson]
1979. Human monkeypox in West Africa. WER 79:12-3.
[Case in Nigeria and area summary. 20 Apr 1979]
1979. Résultats préliminaires d'une enquête sur un cas de monkeypox au Nigéria. SME/79.3. [Need English version]
[AI Gromyko, M Daramola]
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1963. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1975. Country Report: Senegal. SE/WP/75.5.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1969. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Smallpox Surveillance Report: Smallpox outbreak—Sierra Leone . No. 17. Reprinted from: WER 6:113-6.
[07 Feb 1969]
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1970. The Smallpox Eradication Programme in Sierra Leone. SE/WP/70.7 (same as WHO/SE/71.30 p 32-44).
[EC Cummings; Inter-regional Seminar on Surveillance and Assessment in Smallpox Eradication, New Delhi, India, 30 Nov-5 Dec 1970]
1971. The SEP Report. Special report: Human infection with monkeypox: Liberia and Sierra Leone. Volume V, Number 1
[Feb 1971]
1975. Country Report: Sierra Leone. SE/WP/75.6.
Last endemic case of smallpox: 1969. Certified as smallpox-free by International Commission: 15 Apr 1976.
1969. Joint WHO/USAID/NCDC Seminar on Smallpox Eradication and Measles Control in Western and Central Africa. Lagos, Nigeria, 13-20 May 1969.
1969. "Negative" epidemiological enquiries within the framework of the smallpox eradication programme. WHO/SE/69.12.
[GF Glokpor]
1970. Epidemiological investigations - Smallpox Eradication Programme in Togo - 1969. WHO/SE/70.21.
[GF Glokpor, AN Agle]
1975. Country Report: Togo. SE/WP/75.7.