World Health Day -- End Polio Now

Posted by Linda Murray 
on Apr 07, 2014
 
We're This Close -- FDU, Rotaract/Rotary Clubs of Vancouver Yaletown join together to learn about polio and discuss world health issues
 

Congratulations to FDU (Ashraf and Amina) and the Rotaract Club for a very informative (and well-catered) symposium for World Health Day.

Rotaractors set up their banner and took "This Close" photos (including Rotary President Linda and Past President Neil).

FDU has a long-standing Rotary connection.  Col. Fairleigh Dickinson, one of FDU's founders, was a Rotarian.

Neil gave an informative presentation about Rotary and the End Polio Now campaign (Rotary's Global Challenge).  The project is the greatest humanitarian effort by a non-governmental organization.  Eradicating polio has been Rotary's top priority since 1985 and a total of about $1.2 billion has been invested.  Rotary works in partnership with the World Health Organization, governments, NGOs, private partners (including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and thousands of volunteers.  The project is an excellent example of how Rotary connects commerce with causes on a local and international level.

Polio is a highly contagious virus (poliomyelitis) which causes paralysis and sometimes death, predominantly in children.  There is no cure but an effective vaccine was invented by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955.  There were about 20,000 cases per year prior to the vaccine, which was reduced to 1,000 in 1960 as a result of a mass immunization campaign, with the last case in the US in 1979.  Polio is a disease which CAN be eradicated with effective immunization.

The Rotary polio project started in 1979 in the Philippines with a mass immunization of 6 million.  In 1984 Rotary made a commitment to eradicate polio in 20 years, in time for its 100th anniversary in 2005.  In 1988 polio was endemic in 125 countries, by 2003 in 7 countries and today in only 3 (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria).  The WHO declared India polio free earlier this year.  The project is an example of how a seemingly large and unsolvable problem can be solved.  Rotary started at the grassroots level (which is part of its strength) with small fundraisers focused on the goal - to end polio.

Please join us and End Polio Now.