Eradication of smallpox Henderson served as Chief of the CDC virus disease surveillance programs from 1960 to 1965, working closely with epidemiologist
Alexander Langmuir. During this period, he and his unit developed a proposal for a
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program to eliminate smallpox and control measles during a 5-year period in 18 contiguous countries in western and central Africa. This project was funded by USAID, with field operations beginning in 1967. This success gave impetus to WHO's global
Expanded Program on Immunization, which targeted other vaccine-preventable diseases, including
poliomyelitis,
measles,
tetanus,
diphtheria, and
whooping cough. Now targeted for eradication are
poliomyelitis and
Guinea Worm disease; after 25 years, this objective is close to being achieved.
Later work From 1977 through August 1990, Henderson was Dean of the
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. After being awarded the 1986 National Medal of Science by
Ronald Reagan for his work leading the
World Health Organization (WHO) smallpox eradication campaign, Henderson launched a public struggle to reverse the Reagan administration's decision to default on WHO payments. In 1991, he was appointed associate director for life sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President (1991–93) and, later, deputy assistant secretary and senior science advisor in the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For this purpose, $3 billion was appropriated by Congress. At the time of his death, he served as the Editor Emeritus of the academic journal
Health Security (formerly
Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science).
Honors and awards • 1975 – George McDonald Medal,
London School of Tropical Medicine • 1978 – Public Welfare Medal,
National Academy of Sciences • 1985 – Albert Schweitzer International Prize for Medicine • 1986 – National Medal of Science in Biology • 1988 – The Japan Prize, shared with
Isao Arita and
Frank Fenner • 1990 – Health for All Medal, World Health Organization • 1993 –
Walter Reed Medal,
The American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene • 1994 – Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal, Sabin Foundation • 1995 – John Stearns Medal, New York Academy of Medicine • 1996 – Edward Jenner Medal, Royal Society of Medicine • 2001 – Clan Henderson Society, Chiefs Order • 2002 – Presidential Medal of Freedom • 2007 –
John Snow Society's
Pumphandle Lecture • 2013 – Order of Brilliant Star, with Grand Cordon, Republic of China • 2014 –
Prince Mahidol Award, Thailand • 2015 – Charles Merieux Award,
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Seventeen universities conferred honorary degrees on Henderson.
Selected publications •
Fenner F, Henderson DA,
Arita I, Jezek Z, Ladnyi. (1988)
Smallpox and Its Eradication (), Geneva, World Health Organization. The definitive archival history of smallpox. • Henderson DA. (2009)
Smallpox, the Death of a Disease () New York: Prometheus Books • Henderson DA (1993) Surveillance systems and intergovernmental cooperation. In: Morse SS, ed.
Emerging Viruses. New York: Oxford University Press: 283–289. • Henderson DA, Borio LL (2005) Bioterrorism: an overview. In
Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases (Eds. Mandell MD, Bennett JE, Dolin R) Phil, Churchill Livingstone, 3591–3601. • Henderson DA (2010) The global eradication of smallpox: Historical Perspective and Future Prospects in
The Global Eradication of Smallpox (Ed: Bhattacharya S, Messenger S) Orient Black Swan, London. 7–35 • • • • Henderson DA. (1967) Smallpox eradication and measles-control programs in West and Central Africa: Theoretical and practical approaches and problems.
Industry and Trop Health VI, 112–120, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. • • • • • . • • • ==Personal life==