When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1985, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. Polio Plus program has helped us to prevent Five million children from disability, over 550,000 deaths from polio. More than 3.5 billion children received the oral polio vaccine since 1985.
We’ have made great progress against the disease since then. Today, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9 percent, and just two countries continue to report cases of the wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we remain committed to the end.
ROTARY’S PARTNERS IN POLIO ERADICATION PROGRAM
1. Government Machinery,
2. World Health Organization (WHO)
3. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U.S.A (CDC)
Since 13th Jan 2012, India has a great achievement by maintaining ZER POLIO status keeping Polio Free India.
This Herculean task could be possible only because of dedicated work for more than 25 years of investment in terms of time, energy, and money and services rendered by Government machinery including Municipal Corporations and Zilla Parishad participation of various NGOs.
Participation and contribution of Rotary International, which had been in a major way, have been recognized and appreciated by U.N. &W.H.O.
In our region, Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Rotary Clubs had been working as a partner since 1996 and this method of working pattern has been adopted as a model all over the country. Similarly, other districts in our Dist. 3030 had been working in association with government organizations. More than 1500 Rotarians from various Rotary Clubs from Nagpur reach the 10 zones of Vaccine distribution centers along with their vehicles early in the Sunday ( popularly known by Polio Raviwar) morning sharp at 7 on NIDs. Similarly, other revenue districts in our Rotary District work in coordination with respective Government machinery
The enthusiasm of other volunteers, state-level officers in the field went up several notches at the sight of Rotarians from various professions rolling up their sleeves to deliver the vaccine from the ice-cold Boxes.
With polio nearly eradicated, Rotary and its partners must sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk. Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total yearly contribution of $150 million. Rotary has contributed more than $2.2 billion to ending polio since 1985, including the donation by the 12 million Rotarians all over the world.
Rotary is committed to the effort to banish the lingering scourge of Polio from the world by observation, watchfulness, alertness, awareness, attention, vigilance, are the keywords to achieve our goal polio free india
Rotary members from all the Clubs of Nagpur Enclave with lead club Rotary Club of Nagpur Green City is organizing CYCLE RALLY on the occasion of World Polio Day on 24th October 2021 to raise awareness, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today. The event is organized along with Amul which is celebrating 100 years of the founder Dr. Kurien the Milkman of India, and Miles Miller
Dr. K S Rajan
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
