The global smallpox eradication campaign offers a timeless blueprint for modern disease control through several core strategies. First, it demonstrated the necessity of unified international coordination—spearheaded by the WHO—with sustained political and financial commitment, proving that a singular, well-defined goal can align efforts across nations. Second, the "ring vaccination" strategy revolutionized containment by focusing resources on identifying cases and immunizing all their contacts rather than attempting mass universal vaccination, a targeted approach later used successfully against Ebola. Third, the campaign prioritized rigorous surveillance and immediate response, developing a system of active case-finding and daily reporting that allowed teams to stamp out outbreaks before they spread. Finally, and perhaps most critically, it highlighted that technical solutions alone are insufficient. Success depended on thousands of local health workers who earned community trust, countered misinformation, and adapted methods to cultural contexts—a lesson acutely relevant today in combating vaccine hesitancy. These pillars of coordination, targeted strategy, rapid surveillance, and community engagement remain fundamental to addressing modern threats from pandemics to antimicrobial resistance.