2020-05-12 Tue

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 8, 2020, released a smallpox commemorative postal stamp to celebrate the 40th anniversary of smallpox eradication. The stamp has been developed by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA), in collaboration with WHO.

Smallpox is the first and the only human disease that has been eradicated on a global scale through the collaboration of countries all over the world. The 33rd World Health Assembly in May 1980 had issued its official declaration stating that the world and all of its people have won the freedom from smallpox. The stamp was released through a tweet at the virtual unveiling of the stamp in Geneva. It recognizes the global solidarity on a fight against smallpox and also honors millions of people, from world leaders to rural doctors and community health workers to international organizations, who worked together to eradicate smallpox.

When WHO’s smallpox eradication camp was launched in 1967, one of the ways through which countries raised awareness was through the postage stamps as there were no platforms such as Twitter or Facebook. Smallpox was eradicated with WHOs 10-year-old effort. It involved thousands of health workers around the world who administered half a billion vaccinations.

To know more about stamps Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.

Image Courtesy: unstamp.org