Eliminate Polio

Mr. Ewen said he had had some reservations about discussing this issue so soon after the events of last week but had finally concluded that polio was still a concern and that the work that had gone before should not be forgotten or allowed to fail.  When RI decided in 1986 to eradicate this disease, most thought they had bitten off more than they could chew.  They established a target of $100 million and very quickly raised 240.  Then UNICEF, WHO and the Veterans for Disease Control took notice and joined the effort.
Funds are still needed and the goal this year is to raise $300.00 per member.  This District and this Club have always led the way - the District is third in fund raising of 23 in Canada and the Club, which committed to $13,000.00 raised $20,000.00
Unfortunately there have been setbacks - Immunization was suspended in Northern Nigeria last year because Muslim men spread tales that the vaccine spread AIDS or led to sterilization and in Northern India there was an outbreak because Muslims refused to let themselves be immunized by non-Muslims.
The response has been to increase education efforts and to promote National Immunization Days - in India this means a virtual lockdown while every child gets 2 drops of oral vaccine over three days.  This amazing effort requires more than just the vaccine, it requires a huge infrastructure and logistics to get the medication there and to have the people in place.   This costs money, of course.
Superstition and ignorance are the biggest problems but by seeking out local leaders and through pre-natal education support has been growing.  To combate the fear that the vaccine was contaminated, vaccine was brought from Indonesia, a mostly Muslim country, to placate the Muslims in other countries and tests were conducted in the receiving countries.
When rates of infection start to climb again the problem quickly spreads.  Refugees carry it.  When vaccinations stopped in Northern Nigeria, cases immediately showed up in neighbouring countries.  When refugees from Angola fled to Cape Verde islands, cases showed up there after three years with none.
These problems had delayed success, Tom said.  The situation in Nigeria had 'knocked us for a loop'.  Now more immunization days are needed and more education efforts.
Fred said that he understood the original plan was for $160 million over 5 years.  Did Tom have any predictions on when the goal might be accomplished?  Tom admitted they had been naive then.  That amount had grown to over $600 million from Rotary which was only about 25% of the total cost but estimates were that over half a million children had been spared and that in India, for instance, where over a 1,000 cases a week were being reported in the '80's there were now less than a thousand a year.
Every country in the world has to immunize their children - Canada spends $30 million a year on it.  What a savings if it was eradicated.
Every dollar we raise is matched three or four times so every dollar is important.  Tom said that in Canada if you ask a child what Polio is, they don't know what you're talking about.  He wants to see that situation obtain everywhere.
Leigh asked how many cases there were at the beginning.  Tom said 250,000 were being reported but some estimates were that for every one reported there were 10 unreported.  And now the numbers are in the hundreds.  Success is so close.  Many more people and organizations are involved - the Gates', Ted Turner, the World Bank, the Canadian Government.  Reminders will be coming - please consider helping.
Mike Thor offered the Club's thanks for both the report on this important campaign and for Tom's personal efforts and commitments this important project.