Thu Jul 06 2023

One of humanity’s greatest triumphs is the eradication of smallpox. It happened because a handful of public health heroes conquered social stigma, local politics, and much more with an unwavering determination to achieve the impossible. This new eight-episode docuseries explores this remarkable triumph and uncovers some striking parallels and marked contrasts to recent history in the shadows of the covid-19 pandemic. Host Céline Gounder, a physician and epidemiologist, traveled to India and Bangladesh, and her field recordings anchor the season. Each episode mines the smallpox-eradication history for lessons relevant to the next public-health emergency. New episodes coming this summer.