The University of Iowa College of Public Health has named William H. Foege, M.D., the recipient of its 2014 Richard and Barbara Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship. Foege is an acclaimed epidemiologist, child health and development specialist, and global health luminary who helped conceive and lead the successful worldwide campaign to eradicate smallpox. He will visit the University of Iowa campus on Oct. 1-2.

A native Iowan, Foege is a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and former chief of the CDC’s Smallpox Eradication Program. He worked as a medical officer for the World Health Organization and executive director of the Task Force for Child Survival and Development, which increased childhood immunization levels worldwide and led a variety of efforts to promote children’s health. Foege held senior leadership positions in the Carter Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Emory University. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.

“There are few individuals in the world of public health – in the world period – as accomplished as Dr. Foege,” says Sue Curry, dean of the College of Public Health. “His career has been marked by his extraordinary commitment to helping people everywhere live healthier lives. His achievements reflect a remarkable combination of human compassion and tenacious application of public health science. We are honored to recognize him with our college’s highest award.”

The eradication of smallpox, a disease that killed millions and shaped cultures throughout human history, has been called “the world’s greatest public health triumph.” As a medical missionary in Nigeria in the 1960s, Foege developed an innovative strategy that changed the approach to smallpox vaccination and eventually led to the disease’s eradication in the 1970s under his leadership. The strategy, known as “surveillance and containment,” relied on active searches to identify smallpox cases, isolation of smallpox patients, and vaccination of people who came in contact with patients.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, Foege will participate in a College of Public Health Book Club discussion, highlighting his 2012 memoir “House on Fire,” which recounts his personal experiences and the development of a global coalition in the decades-long campaign to defeat smallpox. The discussion, which begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Callaghan Auditorium in the College of Public Health Building, will be moderated by Dean Borg of Iowa Public Radio.

On Thursday, Oct. 2, Foege will present the 2014 Hansen Distinguished Lecture entitled “Is Ebola the New Face of Global Health?” The lecture begins at 10 a.m. in the Callaghan Auditorium in the College of Public Health Building.
Both events are free and open to the public. Full details may be found here.

The Hansen Leadership Award is presented annually by the UI College of Public Health to honor individuals who have made sustained contributions in the public health field. The award recognizes exemplary leadership, high ethical standards, and an enduring commitment to improving health on a national and international level. The award is made possible by a gift from Richard and Barbara Hansen of Iowa City.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this lecture, contact Ryan Bell in advance.

Contacts

• Dan McMillan, College of Public Health
• Bill Barker, College of Public Health