Disrupter: How Dr. Connie's Team Eradicated Smallpox in India

An African American woman doctor, fresh from her residency training in 1975, Dr. Cornelia Davis chose a less traveled path, a decision that would have profound global ramifications.

In a historic endeavor by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eradicate smallpox, a disease that had tormented humanity for millennia, Davis was thrust into the heart of India. There, she confronted deeply ingrained sexism and caste discrimination while relentlessly hunting for the last vestiges of this brutal illness. Undaunted, she blazed trails through the scorching Thar Desert on camelback, ventured into the tense terrain of the Indo-Bangladeshi borders, and negotiated with dubious smugglers, all in pursuit of her mission.

In her persistent quest, she even sought an audience with Mother Theresa in Calcutta as she embarked on a symbolic search for Sitala Mata, the Hindu goddess of smallpox. This extraordinary journey came to a triumphant conclusion when an international team in 1977 certified smallpox eradicated in India. And in 1980, the WHO declared the global eradication of
smallpox, a landmark achievement in medical history!

Dr. Davis was not just another doctor; she was a barrier breaker-a societal disrupter who made a substantial difference in the world. Disrupter tells the inspirational tale of a woman who dared to upset the status quo and made a monumental impact on global health.