Dr William Herbert Foege, a lifelong servant of medicine and public health, was born on 12 March 1936 in Decorah, Iowa, United States. He was not only a physician but also an epidemiologist, public health leader, scientist, and global vaccine expert. He helped lead humanity to one of its greatest collective achievements: the eradication of smallpox. He passed away at the age of 89 on 24 January 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to the BBC, over 80 cases of monkeypox have been verified in at least 12 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden recently. The situation is evolving and the World Health Organisation (WHO) expects there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries. Immediate actions focus on informing those who may be most at risk for monkeypox infection with accurate information, in order to stop further spread.