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In memoriam
Dr William H. Foege
1936–2026
It is with great sadness that WHO learnt of the passing of Dr William Herbert Foege on 24 January 2026 at the age of 89 years.
Dr William “Bill” H. Foege (1936–2026), an American physician and epidemiologist, was best known for devising the global strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox in the late 1970s. Born in Decorah, Iowa, he earned a BA from Pacific Lutheran University, completed his medical degree at the University of Washington in 1961, and later received his Master of Public Health from Harvard University in 1965.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr Foege served as Director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1977 to 1983, where he played a central role in global immunization efforts and advanced several major public health investigations. He later co‑founded the Task Force for Child Survival in 1984, contributed to The Carter Center’s Health Programs and advised the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
One of Dr Foege’s most influential achievements was securing an unprecedented donation of ivermectin (Mectizan) from Merck & Co., Inc. to fight onchocerciasis (river blindness). In 1987, while serving as President and CEO of the Task Force for Global Health, Dr Foege was entrusted by Merck to manage this landmark donation. He oversaw the creation and early management of the Mectizan Donation Program – the first large-scale, disease-specific medicine donation programme in history and now one of the longest-running partnerships in global health. The Program has since distributed billions of ivermectin tablets across dozens of countries, transforming efforts to eliminate onchocerciasis and accelerating progress against lymphatic filariasis. Dr Foege’s leadership was pivotal in establishing the collaborative model now considered standard practice for major neglected tropical disease programmes.
Dr Foege served as Executive Director of The Carter Center from 1986 to 1992, where he helped shape the institution’s early vision and guided its global health strategy, including on Guinea-worm disease (dracunculiasis) eradication, river blindness, malaria and other neglected diseases.
In 2003, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation established the William H. Foege Global Fellowship Program, housed in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, where Dr Foege was a Presidential Distinguished Professor and supported a large number of mid-career professionals from developing countries.
A globally respected public health pioneer, honoured with the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous international accolades, Dr Foege’s lifelong dedication to equity, scientific rigour and service to vulnerable communities continues to inspire generations of public health professionals.
In a post on X published on 25 January, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, stated that he was “saddened to learn of the passing of Dr William H. Foege, a preeminent public health expert whose leadership, prowess and commitment to collaboration helped protect the health of millions of people worldwide.
Dr Foege was instrumental to the global effort to eradicate the scourge of smallpox. His leadership within the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and strong partnership and solidarity with WHO and health partners worldwide, helped advance and celebrate the life-saving benefits of vaccines.
Above all, he was a champion for equity in health, and a visionary who recognized that investment in health is an investment in the futures of communities and countries.”
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