) ▁on ▁its ▁small po x ▁er adic ation ▁program . ▁Under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁Robert ▁J . ▁Wilson ▁( then ▁Ass istant ▁Director ▁of ▁Con n aught ) ▁and ▁Paul ▁Fen je , ▁Con n aught ▁assumed ▁regional ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁small po x ▁er adic ation ▁effort ▁in ▁Latin ▁America , ▁especially ▁in ▁Brazil . ▁Their ▁early ▁efforts ▁focused ▁on ▁ens uring ▁the ▁avail ability ▁of ▁high - quality ▁local ▁v acc ine ▁supplies . ▁W HO ▁cod ified ▁v acc ine ▁production ▁standards ▁in ▁its ▁document , ▁Method ology ▁of ▁Free ze - d ried ▁Small po x ▁V acc ine ▁Production , ▁based ▁largely ▁on ▁Con n aught ' s ▁experience ▁and ▁Wilson ▁and ▁Fen je ' s ▁initi ative . ▁By ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁five ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁v acc ine ▁produ cers ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁were ▁meeting , ▁or ▁almost ▁meeting , ▁the ▁requ is ite ▁standards ▁of ▁ade qu ate ▁pot ency , ▁stability ▁and ▁b acter i ological ▁ster ility . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁Con n aught ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁the ▁W HO ▁Regional ▁Reference ▁Centre ▁for ▁Small po x ▁V acc ine ▁in ▁the ▁Region ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁ ▁G lob ally , ▁approximately ▁ 5 0 ▁million ▁cases ▁still ▁occurred ▁each ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁Through ▁trans n ational ▁collaboration , ▁this ▁figure ▁was ▁reduced ▁significantly ▁to ▁ 1 0 - 1 5 ▁million ▁cases