It was an Australian Rotarian, Clem Renouf of the Rotary Club of Nambour Queensland, who got Rotary involved in the eradication of Polio.
Following his Presidency, PRIP Clem was talking to a friend regarding disease prevention and contacted a Rotarian bio-chemist in the US and asked “if Rotary was to work at disease prevention, which disease should be look at?
Polio Eradication.
Polio Eradication.
So what is this Poliomyelitis?
- Polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under 5 years of age.
- 1 in 200 infections can lead to irreversible paralysis. ...
- Cases due to wild poliovirus have decreased by over 99% since 1988,
Past R.I. President Clem took the idea to the RI Board and resolved to work to eradicate Polio. Eventually the recommendation went to the World Health Organisation..
In 1988, the Forty-first World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio. It marked the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), spearheaded by:
National Governments,
World Health Organisation,
Rotary International
US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
UNICEF, (United National International Children’s Emergency Fund)
and supported by key partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In 1988 there were 125 endemic countries.
Presently, Polio is present in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
- In 1988 there were 350.000 reported cases of Polio (960 per day)
- In 1993 there were 1000.000 reported cases of Polio (reduced to 274 per day)
- Now in 2018 there were 33 reported cases of Polio as recorded at 19th January 2019)
- These are broken down into Afghanistan 21 cases, Pakistan 12 cases, (Nigeria still had 34 cases of Polio reported from previous years)
- So, from an estimated 350 000 cases 1988, to 29 reported cases in 2018.
More than 16 million people are able to walk today, who would otherwise have been paralysed. An estimated 1.5 million childhood deaths have been prevented, through the systematic administration of vitamin A during polio immunization activities.
We need to remember that polio is only a plane ride away.
Future benefits of polio eradication
Once polio is eradicated, the world can celebrate the delivery of a major global public good that will benefit all people equally, no matter where they live.
Economic modelling has found that the eradication of polio would save at least US$ 40–50 billion, mostly in low-income countries. Most importantly, success will mean that no child will ever again suffer the terrible effects of lifelong polio-paralysis.
And that is why we, as Rotarians must continue to support the fundraising efforts and the Polio Immunisation Days in order to totally eradication Polio from the world because Rotary International promised children that we would eradicate Polio from this world.
And until we do, R.I. will not commit to another worldwide project like this.
Sir Clem Renouf OA
A Rotarian with the Nambour Club in Queensland.
- In 1978 he became World President of Rotary International.
- Sir Clement Renouf, AM (born 19 April 1921) is an Australian accountant and former President of Rotary International 1978-79. In this latter role he contributed significantly to the planned eradication of poliomyelitis worldwide
- He was born in Ingham, Queensland in 1921. He joined the Nambour Rotary Club in 1950 and has remained a member ever since.
- In 1978 he became World President of Rotary International.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1979.[2] He was knighted in 1988 "for outstanding service to the community",[3] and awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001.[4
Brian Trenery
February 2019