Viktor Zhdanov
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via Wikipedia: Viktor Zhdanov · see source
Viktor Mykhailovych Zhdanov, a Soviet virologist and epidemiologist, was central to the global push that wiped out smallpox. Born in the village of Shtepino in the Russian Empire, he finished Kharkiv Medical Institute in 1936 and spent a decade as an army doctor before leading the Epidemiology Department at the I. I. Mechnikoff Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Kharkiv, becoming its director two years later. His work on virus classification earned him life membership in the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. He also chaired the Soviet Union's Interagency Science and Technology Council on Molecular Biology and Genetics.
Smallpox eradication
In 1958, as Deputy Minister of Health for the Soviet Union, Zhdanov urged the World Health Assembly to start a worldwide campaign to eliminate smallpox. The assembly accepted his proposal in 1959 as Resolution WHA11.54. He stepped down from the Ministry of Health in 1961 and spent the rest of his career on scientific research, studying influenza, hepatitis, and, in the 1980s, HIV. Even during the Cold War, Zhdanov kept close ties with Western scientists.
He worked with Walter Dowdle, Robert Webster, Edward J. Kilbourne, and Nancy Cox on influenza; with John Moloney and Fred Rapp on viral oncogenesis; and with Daniel Bradley and James E. Maynard on viral hepatitis. William MacAskill wrote that smallpox eradication is one of humanity's greatest achievements and that Zhdanov and Bill Foege should be celebrated. Some, including MacAskill, have argued Zhdanov did more good for humanity than any other person in history.
Awards and honors
Zhdanov shared the 2020 Future of Life Award with William Foege for his smallpox eradication work. Because the ceremony was held remotely during the 2019 Coronavirus Pandemic, his sons Viktor and Michael accepted the award. Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, and newly minted Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna attended. Gates called Zhdanov and Foege phenomenal examples of harnessing science for global health.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said everyone is indebted to them for their critical contributions. UNICEF estimates that as of 2018, smallpox eradication saved close to 200 million lives. On 8 May 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly declared the world free of smallpox. The World Health Organization notes the US$300 million cost to eradicate smallpox saves well over US$1 billion every year since 1980.
Later life and death
Zhdanov later turned to AIDS research, becoming the first Soviet official to confirm the disease existed in the USSR. Starting in 1984, he faced anonymous denunciations accusing him of nepotism and plagiarism.
On June 6, 1987, after reading a letter from the Academy of Medical Sciences saying a committee investigation had been opened into the allegations, he suffered a stroke. He died in hospital eight days later. The person who denounced him was never identified.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Viktor Zhdanov born?
Viktor Zhdanov was born on 14 February 1914 in Stepino, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire; (now Sviatohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine).
When did Viktor Zhdanov die?
Viktor Zhdanov died on 14 July 1987 in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.
What is Viktor Zhdanov known for?
Viktor Zhdanov is known for Initiating the global program to eradicate smallpox undertaken by the WHO.
More in Smallpox Eradication
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Viktor Zhdanov (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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