What if you could put an end to a painful or deadly disease? If you could ensure that no one would ever suffer from it again? That goal of wiping out every single case of a disease is ambitious and the challenges are enormous—but the potential benefits are even greater. To date we’ve eradicated only one human disease: smallpox. But dedicated health workers around the globe are closing in on others. Guinea worm, which once afflicted millions, will soon be gone for good. And efforts are underway to wipe out or control polio, malaria, lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness. It won’t be easy, but through research, international cooperation, health education—and sheer determination—the suffering caused by these diseases may soon be a distant memory.
