Together, We End Polio
With your help, we can end polio for good.
At the end of the 1980s, more than 350,000 children were paralyzed by polio every year. Today, Rotary and its partners have reduced the incidence of polio by 99.9%. However, until we see the last of the poliovirus, eradication efforts need additional funding to:
IMMUNIZE
more than 400 million children against polio every year
IMPROVE
disease surveillance systems to detect any poliovirus in a person or the environment
HIRE
more than 150,000 health workers to go door to door to find every child
Rotary Melbourne is a major contributor to the Rotary Foundation, helping to raise important funds, promote awareness, and ultimately eradicate polio worldwide.
5 REASONS WHY WE MUST ERADICATE POLIO
1 IMPROVE LIVES.
Today, 20 million people who would otherwise be paralyzed by polio are walking, and 1.5 million people who would otherwise have died are alive.
2 INVEST IN THE FUTURE.
If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year. A polio-free world will be a healthier world for children everywhere.
3 IMPROVE CHILD HEALTH.
Polio surveillance networks and vaccination campaigns also monitor children for other health problems, like vitamin deficiency and measles, so we can address them sooner.
4 LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS.
The global effort to eradicate polio has already saved more than $27 billion in health care costs since 1988, and expects to save $14 billion more by 2050.
5 MAKE HISTORY.
Polio eradication will be one of history’s greatest public health achievements, with polio following smallpox to become only the second human disease eradicated from the world.
About PolioPlus Program
The Rotary PolioPlus program is Rotary International's flagship initiative aimed at eradicating polio worldwide. It was launched in 1985, when Rotary made a commitment to immunize all children against polio. Here's an overview of the key components and activities of the Rotary PolioPlus program:
- Vaccination Campaigns: The program organizes and funds vaccination campaigns in partnership with national governments, international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other NGOs. These campaigns typically involve administering oral polio vaccine drops to children under the age of five, targeting high-risk areas where polio transmission is still occurring.
- Surveillance and Monitoring: Rotary supports surveillance efforts to track polio cases and monitor the spread of the virus. This involves establishing networks of health workers who actively search for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), a symptom of polio, and conducting regular testing of stool samples to identify the poliovirus.
- Community Engagement and Education: The program works closely with local communities to raise awareness about polio and the importance of vaccination. Rotary volunteers and health workers engage with community leaders, religious institutions, schools, and families to ensure widespread understanding of the risks of polio and the benefits of vaccination.
- Infrastructure Support: Rotary provides financial and logistical support to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in polio-affected regions. This includes funding for medical equipment, training for healthcare workers, and the establishment of cold chain systems to maintain the efficacy of vaccines.
- Advocacy and Fundraising: Rotary advocates for increased funding and political commitment to polio eradication efforts. They mobilize resources through fundraising initiatives such as the annual Rotary fundraising drives, partnerships with governments, corporations, and philanthropic organizations, and leveraging matching grants from organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Global Coordination: Rotary collaborates closely with global health partners to coordinate efforts and ensure a unified approach to polio eradication. This includes participating in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a partnership between Rotary, WHO, UNICEF, CDC, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
The Rotary PolioPlus program has been instrumental in driving down polio cases globally by over 99%, demonstrating Rotary's commitment to the eradication of this debilitating disease.
