House on fire
Subtitle: the fight to eradicate smallpox
By: William H. Foege
Contributors: Milbank Memorial Fund
Series: California/Milbank books on health and the public -- 21; California/Milbank books on health and the public -- 21.
Publisher: University of California Press; Milbank Memorial Fund
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Berkeley; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 218
ISBN-13: 9780520268364
Subjects: Physicians; Autobiography; International Cooperation; Epidemiology; Biography; Public health personnel; History; Smallpox; History, 20th Century
Description: "A story of courage and risk-taking, House on Fire tells 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 objective: eliminating smallpox forever. Rich with the details of everyday life, as well as a few adventures, House on Fire gives an intimate sense of what it is like to work on the ground in some of the world's most impoverished countries -- and tells what it is like to contribute to programs that really do change the world"--Dust jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-207) and index.
Table of contents: title: A loathsome disease; title: A succession of mentors; title: Practicing public health in Nigeria; title: Fire line around a virus; title: Extinguishing smallpox in a time of war; title: Under the rule of variola; title: Unwarranted optimism; title: A gorgeous coalition; title: Rising numbers, refining strategy; title: Water on a burning house; title: Smallpox zero.