Rotary International designates a particular humanitarian service focus to each month of the year.  In December the focus is on Disease Treatment and Prevention.  Of course, Rotary has engaged in a 30 year fight to eradicate Polio from the earth, and we are 99.9% there.  Quite honestly the final .1% is a really significant challenge, and some estimate that Rotary and its international partners will need to spend $1.5 billion dollars to finish the job.  There is no doubt, however, that Rotary will see this effort through to its completion, and humanity (especially the children) will be blessed by the effort.

 

There are many other efforts being made across the globe to treat and prevent disease.  I copied this article from the Rotary International website, because not only is it a great project to prevent dengue fever but it also highlights a critical element of Rotary: fellowship and peaceful tolerance.    This effort in Indonesia has brought together Christian and Muslim women in a part of the world where these two faiths do not often mix.  It reminds us that we are all one people, sharing one planet, and the problems of one are the problems of all.  It’s a great message for this holiday time of the year!

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In a world where intolerance and violence fueled by religious differences are seemingly increasing, one Rotary club in Indonesia is showing how diversity can help prevent a pandemic threat. When the Rotary Club of Solo Kartini in Surakarta, Indonesia, formed 25 years ago, its members drew criticism from the predominantly Muslim community.

 

The club’s members were mostly Christians, atypical for a country where more than 80 percent of the population is Muslim. Religious leaders were skeptical of Rotary’s secular mission and wary of intrusion. Undeterred, the club started recruiting more members. Today, the 72-member, all-female club includes both Muslims and Christians.  And the effort they have put into breaking down barriers and fostering respect and understanding among club members has reinforced the club’s capacity to address dengue fever, one of the biggest public health threats in tropical cities like Surakarta.

 

Dengue fever is a virus transmitted by mosquitos that flourish in tropical urban environments like Surakarta. There is no effective treatment; once infected, victims experience sudden high fevers, severe headaches, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.

Launching an effective public health initiative to prevent the disease requires volunteers with deep knowledge and connections to the community who can craft specific and sustainable solutions. And that means being able to build relationships across religious, cultural and socio-economic lines.  

 

The Rotary Club of Solo Kartini in Surakarta, Indonesia, installed white tiles on more than 3,500 tubs. The tiles make it easier to see and clean mosquito larvae, which helps prevent dengue fever. Rotary member Mariam Kartonagoro says her club’s diverse makeup – particularly its abundance of mothers and professionals of varied ages and backgrounds – enhances their effort to fight dengue fever. “The fact that we are different does not create trouble, but it strengthens our relationship,” she says.

 

In collaboration with the Rotary Club of Westport, Connecticut, USA, and the local ministry of health in Surakarta, the Muslim and Christian club members have been able to help reduce the risk for dengue fever by interrupting the breeding cycles of carrier mosquitos. 

The first step was to implement a startlingly simple, low-cost strategy: line the dark cement bathtubs, common in Indonesian households, with white tiles so mosquito larvae is easier to see – and remove. In five years, the club project modified more than 3,500 tubs in two neighborhoods.