William Foege facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Foege
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| 10th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | |
| In office May 1977 – 1983 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | David Sencer |
| Succeeded by | James Mason |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 12, 1936 Decorah, Iowa, U.S. |
| Spouse | Paula Foege |
| Education | Pacific Lutheran University (BA) University of Washington (MD) Harvard University (MPH) |
| Awards | Calderone Prize (1996) Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize |
William Herbert Foege (born March 12, 1936) is an American doctor and scientist who studies how diseases spread (an epidemiologist). He is famous for creating the plan that helped get rid of smallpox around the world in the late 1970s.
From May 1977 to 1983, Dr. Foege was the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is a very important organization in the United States that works to protect public health.
Dr. Foege also played a big part in helping more people in developing countries get their vaccines in the 1980s. In 2011, he wrote a book called House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox, which tells the story of how smallpox was defeated.
In 2020, he wrote a letter to the CDC Director. He urged the CDC to improve its approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. He wanted them to take a stronger lead in the United States' response.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
William Foege was born on March 12, 1936, in Decorah, Iowa. He was one of six children. His father was a minister. His family moved a few times when he was young.
When he was a teenager, Dr. Foege was inspired by his uncle, who was a missionary in New Guinea. He became interested in science at age 13 while working at a pharmacy. He also read many books about the world, like the work of Albert Schweitzer in Africa. He spent several months in a body cast at age 15, which gave him a lot of time to read and think. As a teenager, he decided he wanted to practice medicine in Africa.
Education and Public Health
Dr. Foege earned his first degree from Pacific Lutheran University in 1957. He then went to medical school at the University of Washington. While there, he became very interested in public health. Public health is about protecting and improving the health of whole communities, not just individual patients. He worked at the Seattle–King County Health Department during this time.
After becoming a doctor in 1961, he joined the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The EIS trains doctors and scientists to investigate disease outbreaks. During his time with the EIS, he was inspired to work on global health issues. He also spent a short time with the Peace Corps in India. Later, he earned a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University in 1965.
How Smallpox Was Eradicated
While working for the CDC in Africa, Dr. Foege led the Smallpox Eradication Program. Smallpox was a terrible disease that caused many deaths and left survivors with scars. He developed a very successful plan called "surveillance and ring vaccination".
Here's how it worked:
- Surveillance: This meant finding every new case of smallpox as quickly as possible.
- Ring Vaccination: Once a case was found, everyone who had been in contact with the sick person was vaccinated. This created a "ring" of protected people around the infection, stopping the disease from spreading further.
This smart strategy meant they didn't need to vaccinate everyone in the world. They could focus their limited resources where they were most needed. Because of these efforts, smallpox became the first infectious disease in history to be completely wiped out in humans.
For his work, Dr. Foege received the 2020 Future of Life Award. Many important people, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, praised his contributions. They highlighted how science and teamwork can solve big global problems.
Career Highlights
Dr. Foege's research has focused on many important health topics. These include child survival, preventing injuries, and improving public health leadership, especially in developing countries. He strongly believes in getting rid of diseases completely. He has played a key role in efforts to eradicate diseases like Guinea Worm Disease, polio, and measles. He also worked to eliminate river blindness.
He served as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from May 1977 to 1983.
After his time at the CDC, he held other important roles:
- He co-founded and was President of The Task Force for Global Health. This group works to improve health for people around the world.
- He was a Senior Fellow with the Global Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- He served as the Executive Director of The Carter Center, an organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter that works for peace and health worldwide.
Personal Life
Dr. Foege is known for being very tall, about 6 feet 7 inches (2 meters). He and his wife, Paula, had three sons. He has been described as a religious man. He also served on the Board of Regents for Pacific Lutheran University for many years.
Awards and Honors
Dr. William Foege has received many awards for his important work in public health. Some of these include:
- The Calderone Prize in 1996.
- The Mary Woodard Lasker Award for Public Service in 2001.
- The Public Welfare Medal from the United States National Academy of Sciences in 2005.
- The Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal in 2006, for his work with vaccines.
- The Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. This is one of the highest civilian awards in the United States.
- The 2020 Future of Life Award for his role in smallpox eradication.
