Humanity eradicated smallpox 45 years ago. It’s a story worth remembering

The US filmmaker Neil Halloran is known for short documentaries that combine illuminating data visualisation with powerful storytelling. In his latest work, The Plea, Halloran explores how smallpox went from perhaps the deadliest infectious disease in human history to a fading memory. The film provides a brief history of smallpox from ancient Egypt to today – almost five decades since the last known smallpox death – replete with charts and graphics that put the vast devastation of the virus into perspective.

Through this framework, Halloran tells the largely forgotten story of how a worldwide effort led to the eradication of a disease that had, in some civilisations, caused nearly a third of children to die before adulthood and, in others, halved populations or worse. The piece steers clear of contemporary politics, where, in many parts of the world, nativism, nationalism and science scepticism are on the rise. However, by highlighting how smallpox has transformed from one of the greatest sources of human suffering to ‘one of humanity’s great triumphs’, Halloran makes a strong case for how empathy and cooperation – particularly in global health – have profoundly shaped our world for the better.

Via Kottke