Cervical cancer: Diseases eliminated in Australia -

In a global-first, cervical cancer has become a rare disease in Australia and will no longer be considered a public health problem by 2028.

The HPV vaccine, as well as Australia-specific health programs, are credited with this major health milestone. 

Here are all the diseases eliminated in Australia and how we got rid of them. 

© Getty Images

Rabies - Australia is one of a handful of countries that has eliminated rabies in land animals.

© Getty Images

1867 - There is a recorded incident of a death from rabies in Australia in 1867, but nothing contracted by animal in Australia after that.

© Getty Images

Recent deaths from rabies - Two Aussies died from rabies in 1987 and 1990, but both were bitten overseas.

© Getty Images

Indonesia concern - Health officials are worried rabies could come to Australia from Indonesia, where it's prevalent.

© Getty Images

Countries with no rabies - The only places that have eliminated rabies are Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Japan, and Taiwan.

© Getty Images

Bat rabies in Australia - Bats in Australia have rabies, but there have been no known deaths related to bats in Australia.

© Getty Images

Small pox - The last known case of small pox in Australia was 1938.

© Getty Images

Vaccine - Edward Jenner invented the small pox vaccine in 1796.

© Getty Images

Only irradiated disease - To this day, small pox is the only infectious human disease entirely eradicated around the world, intentionally by humans, thanks to the World Health Organization's intervention. 

© Getty Images

1979 - Small pox was eradicated worldwide in 1979.

© Getty Images

Still kept in a lab - Somewhat controversially, the U.S. and Russia both keep the small pox virus in a lab. 

© Reuters

Rinderpest - Rinderpest was a disease related to measles that killed off cattle. 

© Getty Images

1923 - The only known occurrence of Rinderpest was in Freemantle, WA in 1923. 

© Getty Images

Derby, WA - The infected cattle had come on a ship from Derby, WA and kept next to pigs from Singapore.

© Getty Images

28 herds - There were 28 herds infected and veterinarians had to come from across the country to help kill off the diseased animals. 

© Getty Images

Second disease eliminated - Rinderpest, which doesn't affect humans, was the second disease eradicated by humans as well as the first and, still, only livestock disease eradicated intentionally by humans. 

© Getty Images

2010 - The disease was completely expunged from existence in 2010 by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.  

© Getty Images

Polio - Worldwide, there were only 22 cases of polio in 2017, compared with an estimated 400,000 as recently as 1980. 

© Getty Images

Australia polio-free - The World Health Organization declared Australia polio-free in 2000. 

© Getty Images

Vaccine - Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine in 1955. 

© Getty Images

Czechoslovakia, 1960 -

Czechoslovakia became the first country in the world to completely eradicate polio in 1960. 

© Getty Images

Global Polio Eradication Initiative - The World Health Organization, Rotary International, the United Nations Children's Fun, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988.

© Getty Images

Polio - The wild virus was last seen in 1999. 

© Getty Images

Malaria - Australia doesn't have malaria anymore, but it was once a major killer here.

© Getty Images

1800s - In Port Essington, NT, during the 1800s, European settlers died of malaria more than of any other cause.

© Getty Images

1982 - Australia was officially recognised as malaria-free in 1982. 

© Getty Images

Last known case - The last known case of malaria in Australia occurred in 1962, in Rope River, NT. 

© Getty Images

Eradication - Australia embarked on a major eradication campaign during the second world war. 

© Getty Images

Half the world - Half of the world's population is still at risk of malaria.

© DR

Measles - Australia has a complicated relationship with measles. 

© Getty Images

2014 - Measles was officially eliminated in 2014. 

© Getty Images

Outbreak - But Australia has routine measles outbreaks, brought in from other countries. 

© Getty Images

Vaccination - The vaccination program in Australia has successfully prevented the spread of those outbreaks. 

© Getty Images

9 out of 10 - It's predicted that people who have measles will infect 9 out of ten of the people they interact with.

© Getty Images

Cervical cancer - Cervical cancer will be declared a rare disease in Australia.

© Getty Images

2028 - The cancer will cease being a public health issue, it is predicted, by 2028. 

© Reuters

Global-first - Australia is the first country in the world to reach this health milestone. 

© Reuters

HPV vaccine - Administering the HPV vaccine to girls in school has proven a major success. 

© Getty Images

Pap smear program - The elimination of the disease as a public health issue is also due to the Australian pap smear program that began in 1991. 

© Reuters