2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox (kopper).
Smallpox was officially declared eradicated in 1980 and is the first disease to have been fought on a global scale.
This extraordinary achievement was accomplished through the collaboration of countries around the world.
At the end of the 1960s, smallpox was still endemic in Africa and Asia.
Vaccination campaigns, surveillance and prevention measures aimed to contain epidemic hotspots and to better inform affected populations.
All these strategies were used to combat the disease.
