Public Health Nursing Practice Exam

Which communicable disease was successfully targeted for elimination during the 1960s and 1970s?

1. Tetanus

2. Measles

3. Pertussis

4. Smallpox

The correct answer is: Smallpox

Smallpox is recognized as the communicable disease that was successfully targeted for elimination during the 1960s and 1970s. The World Health Organization (WHO) initiated an intensified global eradication campaign in 1967, which deployed a strategy of mass vaccination, surveillance, and containment. This systematic approach proved effective, leading to the declaration of smallpox eradication in 1980, making it the first disease to be eradicated through human effort. The significance of smallpox elimination lies not only in the disease itself but also in the methodologies developed during the campaign, which have influenced public health strategies for other diseases. Efforts for diseases like measles, pertussis, and tetanus have not achieved the same level of complete eradication. Instead, vaccination programs for these diseases aim to control and reduce their prevalence rather than eliminate them outright. Smallpox remains a unique milestone in public health history.