Dear Rotarians and Rotaractors: 2021 has been a great year for polio eradication. At this point, we can count the cases of wild polio virus this year on one hand. The global number of vaccine-derived cases which are found in unvaccinated children is about 1/3rd of what we saw a year ago. It has been the unceasing focus of Rotarians around the world working with our partners to end polio once and for all and we have never been closer. In November, I was able to spend a week in Pakistan meeting with Rotarians, government officials, our partners, and front-line workers. During the worst pandemic we have experienced, the mostly women who go door to door have donned their masks, provided Covid-19 guidance, and have provided two drops of the oral polio vaccine and measles and rubella vaccines to millions of children. Through their dedication, in one year we went from seeing 84 wild polio cases in 39 separate districts of Pakistan to one case in one district. It was wonderful to see and listen to these amazing women and to acknowledge their dedication to making their communities polio free. The polio eradication effort is now focused on the two endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and on 12 high-risk countries in Africa where we have seen outbreaks of the vaccine derived cases. 100% of your PolioPlus contributions are paying for vaccines, for stipends for local community members to deliver vaccines, for logistical support for immunization activities, for surveillance to ensure we find the virus before it spreads and for encouraging parents to get their kids vaccinated. 400 million times a year we provide polio vaccines to children under five. What was apparent from my visit to Pakistan is that we need to take full measures to seize this current opportunity to say goodbye to the wild polio virus and its variants. The front-line workers are finding their ways down the dusty alleys in hopeful villages. We also need to find the generosity in our hearts to fulfill the dream of a polio free world. Please at this crucial time, go to endpolio.org and read the latest facts. Share them within your clubs. Make a contribution yourself to the Rotary Foundation earmarking the donation for PolioPlus, have a club activity to raise funds for polio eradication, give a club contribution and encourage your Rotary District to allocate funds from their District Designated Funds. And remember, all donations to PolioPlus are matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Thank you to all of you for all that you do and all the best for the holidays. Warm regards Mike McGovern
Member of the Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Chair of the Rotary International PolioPlus Committee | 