Rahima Banu Begum (Bengali: রহিমা বানু বেগুম; born 1973) is the last known person to have been infected with naturally occurring Variola major smallpox. The case occurred on 16 October 1975, when the two-year old Banu was living in the village of Kuralia on Bhola Island in the Bangladesh district of Barisal. Her case was reported by an eight-year-old girl, Bilkisunnessa, who was paid 250 taka.[1] Information on the case was forwarded via telegram to D.A. Henderson, who led the World Health Organization's campaign to eradicate the disease.[2] The World Health Organization team arrived and cared for Banu, who recovered fully.
In an interview in 2009, Banu said she had four children after marrying a farmer at the age of 18. She stated villagers and even her in-laws treated her poorly because she had suffered from smallpox.[3][4]