Robert "Bob" Taylor - Polio

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a paralyzing and potentially deadly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. The virus spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can then attack the nervous system.

 

1.  Polio mainly affects children under age 5.  2. There is no cure, but polio is preventable with a vaccine. 3. Only two countries remain endemic. 4. We’ve reduced cases by 99.9% since 1988. 5. Until we end polio forever, every child is at risk.

 

Unless we eradicate polio, within 10 years, as many as 200,000 new cases could occur around the world each year. In the past few years, only two countries have reported cases of polio caused by the wild virus, but no child anywhere is safe until we’ve vaccinated every child.

 

Are you looking through the Rearview Mirror?  Some Rotarians are looking at Polio as a DONE DEAL because some haven’t experienced Polio in their lives or the lives of some of their friends or relatives.  They feel that it’s no longer the bright new shiny thing in the Rotary World.  Some feel that we have so few cases, so why not call it a day.  Some think that Polio is not making it to the top of the list of importance in Rotary projects.

Actually, the Windshield is bigger than the Rearview Mirror -- Looking ahead holds far greater opportunity than looking behind.  Sometimes past decisions have a way of catching up with us, and the Future is Always Bigger than the past.  If you take a look at the Rearview mirror – the history of Polio, “may be closer than it appears.”

 

Remember that the Windshield, however, is designed to allow the most optimal view of what is in front of us.  Always keep your view through your Polio Windshield clean and free of obstructions so it will impair your view.

 

 

The Polio Windshield shows we still have new Wild Polio (Paralyzing) cases:  In 2022 there was one in Afghanistan and in 2021 there were six -- one in Pakistan, one in Malawi and four in Afghanistan.  There are places around the world where vaccine is derived (mutated, somewhat less severe). Where the vaccine is derived, there were 140 new cases in 2022 and in 2021 there was 176 total new cases with 147 in Pakistan and 29 in Afghanistan.

You need to remember that the Virus is still just a plane ride away, as you have recently seen in Malawi and it could find it’s way again to America.  We must keep our vigilance, research, vaccinations, environmental sampling, and funding current with the time.

 

 

Rotary spearheaded this organization to combat polio and with our donations helped develop this initiative.  Members of this organization is:  WHO (World Health Organization); CDC (Centers for Disease Control); GAVI (The Vaccine Alliance); UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund); The Gates Foundation; and YOU!  (Rotary International)

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has one goal in mind and that is to eradicate polio worldwide.  They have $17 billion US dollars invested, with 11 countries involved, 20 million volunteers and over 2.5 billion children who have been vaccinated.  By the way, 140.6 million babies are born, yearly, around the world.  They vaccinate in different environments and governmental conditions to maintain global immunity.

 

When you Donate to Rotary Polio Plus here is where your money goes.  For each $100 US dollars donated $39 goes to help deliver vaccines to children; $24 goes to help raise awareness about getting vaccinated; $19 goes to help in vaccine research (a majority of research CDC, and WHO); $14 goes into surveillance and detecting the disease; $3 helps to hire consultants and $1 is used for other research and program management.

 

Polio Plus also provides direct grants to countries and areas such as Pakistan $28.9 million; Africa $14.5 million; and Afghanistan $8.5 million.  There are various grants given for outbreaks, vaccines, research and program management which total $99.2 million.  Rotary plays a big part in the global response to polio.

 

Bob gave us a lot of information which should help us see a little clearer what our present-day direction is in Polio eradication around the world.  Bob told us Rotary and its partners are dealing with a big hairy problem that affects the world.  Our continued contributions or even new contributions will help us eradicate Polio around the world.