Next World Health Assembly should discuss smallpox research given U.S. withdrawal from WHO

In May 1980, the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, declared that the deadly, disfiguring and contagious smallpox disease, which is caused by the variola virus, had been eradicated. Since then, all smallpox virus research has been under WHO’s authorization and performed in only two laboratories in the world, one in the U.S. and one in Russia.

No other nations are authorized by WHO, a United Nations agency, to possess smallpox virus. However, on Jan. 20, 2025, the U.S. began the formal process of withdrawing from WHO via an executive order.

Given this unprecedented situation involving one of the only two nations authorized by WHO to even possess smallpox virus and conduct experiments with it, the ongoing U.S. smallpox program should be discussed at the next annual World Health Assembly, which will be in Geneva, Switzerland, May 19-27. Convened by WHO, the meeting brings together 194 health ministers from around the world.   

This year’s assembly will be exactly 45 years after the 1980 declaration that smallpox had been eradicated globally.

In particular, at least four key issues should be addressed at this year’s assembly in May:

1. Will the U.S. agree to undergo the standard biennial inspection of its smallpox laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta by WHO’s Biosafety Inspection Team?
2. Will the U.S. continue to follow the standard smallpox research oversight program overseen by WHO’s Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research?
3. Will the U.S. continue to report all results of its smallpox research program to this advisory committee following the standard process to share this information with WHO?
4. Will the U.S. agree to continue smallpox virus storage and experimentation at only one location, at CDC in Atlanta, and not in any other laboratories, whether inside or outside the U.S.?

To learn more about these issues, watch this 10-minute video from Dr. Lucey.