Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge - 2008-12
Part three of a four part story about Rotary's Commitment to the eradication of Polio through the efforts of Rotarians worldwide.
Our Challenge
A realistic and manageable goal
Although tremendous progress has been made, the world is not yet polio free. The poliovirus knows no borders; it can spread from an endemic country into polio-free areas. As long as one case of polio remains in the world, no child is safe from this deadly disease.
The greatest challenge in the battle against polio today is financial. Despite the enormous resources already committed, more money is urgently needed to reach the children in the four remaining polio-endemic countries. Recognizing Rotary's resolve to eradicate polio and its extensive volunteer network, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Rotary a US$350 million grant. In return, Rotary is committed to raising $200 million by 30 June 2012. Together, Rotary International and the Gates Foundation will provide over half a billion dollars toward of priority goal of a polio-free world.
A realistic and manageable goal
This series about polio eradication is taken from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's information brochure. You can learn more about Rotary's PolioPlus program at WWW.ROTARY.ORG/POLIO .