House on Fire The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox [Hardcover]

A story of courage and risk-taking,House on Firetells how smallpox, a disease that killed, blinded, and scarred millions over centuries of human history, was completely eradicated in a spectacular triumph of medicine and public health. Part autobiography, part mystery, the story is told by a man who was one of the architects of a radical vaccination scheme that became a key strategy in ending the horrible disease when it was finally contained in India. In House on Fire, William H. Foege describes his own experiences in public health and details the remarkable program that involved people from countries around the world in pursuit of a single objectiveeliminating smallpox forever. Rich with the details of everyday life, as well as a few adventures,House on Firegives an intimate sense of what it is like to work on the ground in some of the worlds most impoverished countriesand tells what it is like to contribute to programs that really do change the world.

William H. Foege, Senior Fellow at the Gates Foundation, has held a succession of distinguished positions, including Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Professor and Health Policy Fellow at Emory University. Before becoming director of the CDC, he was chief of its Smallpox Eradication Program. Foege is the author ofGlobal Health Leadership and Management.

Bill Foege takes us inside the world's greatest public health triumph: the eradication of smallpox. It's a story of true determination, passion and courage. The story of smallpox should encourage all of us to continue the critical work of worldwide disease eradication.--Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill Foege is one of the public health giants of our times. He was responsible for the design of the campaign that eradicated smallpoxthe most important global health achievement in history and possibly the greatest feat in any fl³5