Introduction
After the eradication of smallpox had been confirmed by the WHA in 1980, WHO commenced a five-year programme to implement the post-eradication policies adopted by the World Health Assembly in resolution WHA33.4. This programme had been recommended by the Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication and was designed both to allay the fears that smallpox might recur and to provide full documentation of the effort. The 19 recommendations specified the following:
- discontinuation of smallpox vaccination except for researchers at special risk
- continuation of monkeypox surveillance in West and Central Africa, at least until 1985
- supervision of the consolidated, remaining global variola virus stocks and their use in high containment laboratories
- effective epidemiological surveillance with an international rumour registry and thorough investigation of all suspected smallpox cases
- maintenance of an international reserve of vaccine under WHO control
- monitoring of safety measures in laboratories retaining variola virus
- maintenance of epidemiological and research expertise in human poxvirus infections via a programme of research on orthopoxviruses
- documenting, publishing and cataloguing of all aspects of the smallpox eradication efforts
Committee on Orthopoxvirus Infections
In 1981 the Committee on Orthopoxvirus Infections was established to advise the WHO on the post-smallpox eradication policy in order to maintain the achievement of smallpox eradication permanently.
Ad Hoc Committee for Orthopoxvirus
In 1990, the Ad Hoc Committee for Orthopoxvirus was set up to oversee smallpox activities, especially relating to the cloning (later sequencing) of the variola virus genome, the retention of WHO stocks of smallpox vaccine and seed vaccine virus stocks, and ultimately to oversee the destruction of the remaining stocks of variola virus.
WHA resolutions
The following World Health Assembly resolutions record the different historic milestones for smallpox eradication and the post-eradication period.