Original version

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Witness History

Podcasts

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: History

History as told by the people who were there

History as told by the people who were there.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service East Asia

Witness History: Europe's last smallpox epidemic

Documentaries

smallpox CROPPED.jpg

23/11/2021 GMT

Europe's last smallpox epidemic

BBC World Service - Witness History, Europe's last smallpox epidemic

The virologist who helped tackle the last smallpox outbreak in Europe

Dr Ana Gligic, a virologist in the former Yugoslavia, helped stop an epidemic of smallpox in Europe. Eighteen million people were vaccinated to contain the outbreak in 1972.

Eighteen million people were vaccinated against smallpox in the former communist Yugoslavia in only a month and a half in 1972. The mass vaccination campaign succeeded in containing the last smallpox epidemic in Europe. Dr Ana Gligic was a virologist who detected the first cases of the disease and helped tackle the outbreak. 
 
 
PHOTO: A smallpox patient in Yugoslavia in 1972 (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Witness History

Europe's last smallpox epidemic

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

About BBC World Service