Polio
Plus is Rotary’s massive effort to Immunize the children of
the world against poliomyelitis. It is part of a global effort to
protect the children from the other deadly diseases as well—the
‘plus’ in Polio Plus. The programme was launched in
1985 with fund-raising as a primary focus. The original goal was
to raise $120 million. By 1988, Rotarians of the world had raised
more than $219 million in cash and pledges. By 1992, the cash total
exceded $240 million! These gifts have enabled The Rotary Foundation
to make grants to provide a five year supply of vaccine for any
developing country requesting it to protect its children. Grants
have been made to nearly 100 countries—a commitment, thus
far, of $17 million to buy vaccine and to improve vaccine quality.
In 1988, the World Health Organization adopted a goal of eradicating
polio throughout the world by the year 2000, and Rotary has endorsed
that goal, hoping to celebrate a polio-free world in its own 100th
anniversary year, 2005. Achieving eradication will be difficult
(only one other diseases, small pox, has ever been eradicated) and
it also must include systematic reporting of all suspected cases,
community wide vaccination to contain outbreaks of the disease,
and establishment of laboratory networks. Rotary will not be alone
in all these efforts but in partnerships with national governments,
the World and Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF and others.
Rotary’s people power gives us a special ‘hands on’
role, Rotarians in developing countries have given thousands of
hours and countless in-kind gifts to help eradication happen in
their countries.
No other nongovernmental organization ever has made a commitment
of the scale of Polio Plus. It may be considered the greatest humanitarian
service, the world has even seen. Every Rotarian can share the pride
of the achievement! |
