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Giant and DwarfAmerica. Humanity “owes” the Islamic leaders in northern Nigeria, that after successfullyeradicating smallpox 58 , humankind failed—at least for now—to eradicate another devastatinginfectious disease—the polio.Actually northern Nigeria has remained the largest focal point for the virus that causesthis devastating illness—the one which, for example, strapped U.S. President F. D. Rooseveltto a wheelchair. Roosevelt certainly did not have the opportunity which we all have today—to protect himself against this infection by being vaccinated—because the polio vaccinewas only developed after the Second World War. (Just to note, Czechoslovak epidemiologistsand physicians were the pioneers in eliminating polio at home as well as abroad.In 1960, Czechoslovakia became the first polio free country in the world. 59 ) Unlike PresidentRoosevelt, decades ago, children in northern Nigeria have no access to this vaccination notbecause the vaccine is unavailable, but because some religious leaders in northern Nigeriabegan to spread a false rumors about the polio vaccine, including the notion that the realgoal of the vaccination is to reduce the fertility of Muslim women. The result is that as lateas just few years ago only 20 % of children in some parts of northern Nigeria were vaccinated.This leaves plenty of unprotected children to transmit the virus from one to the otherand occasionally also to export it to neighboring countries. Around the year 2000—20 yearsafter the eradication of smallpox—mankind was already very close to reaching the eradicationof yet another infectious disease which has killed millions and millions of childrenthroughout history. The achievement of this second historical breakthrough was madeimpossible by a group of religious fanatics and a mass of their ignorant followers.58 Smallpox is the only one fatal human infectious disease, which humanity succeeded to eradicate onthe planetary scale. Global efforts to eraze this mortal diseases, which during the 20 th century killed300 to 500 million people was successfully completed in 1980. Among many Czechoslovak epidemiologistswho took part in this epochal achievement of united humaniking were professor Karel Raška, whodeveloped the concept of diseas surveillance and led smallpox eradication efforts in 1960-ies, my ownesteemed teacher of epidemiology professor Stephen Straka (working on smallpox eradication in India,Somalia), dr. Ivan Ferencei (Bangladesh), dr. Juraj Červenka (India), dr. Bedrich Bagar (India), dr. Ivan Masar(India, Somalia), dr. Viktor Príkazský (Zaire, India) and others. Their participation in the smallpox eradicationprogram led by the World Health Organization is one of the forgotten pages of our own history, forwhich Czech and Slovak citizens should be justly proud. Smallpox eradication is also the case of perhapsthe most meaningful and the most enduring aid to developing countries.59 In Spring 1960, a massive vaccination program in Czechoslovakia administered more than 4 milliondoses of polio vaccine within 10 short days. Huge success of this vaccination campaign contributedto decision to licence Sabine polio vaccine in the USA at the end of 1960. Slovak speaking readers canfind more details in profesor Červenka’s notes on polio eradication at http://www.sea.host.sk/profesor/aven0600.htm.74