District Rotarians,
As you know, polio eradication is our most significant priority around the world. For more than 30 years, Rotary has been the glue that has held the Global Polio Eradication Initiative together and we have seen remarkable progress over that time! In 1988, there were over 350,000 cases of polio annually, while this year there has only been 71 so far this year. This number has ticked up the last two years, but there is still progress being made: As of August 21st, Nigeria has not reported a case of polio in three years, meaning that Africa will be considered polio free in 2020!
Although we are “This Close”, we need to “Drop to Zero.” If we don’t, it’s projected that there will be up to 200,000 cases annually within ten years! As World Polio Day comes up on October 24th, you can help us make history in a few ways:
- Continue to give: It is projected that the final push to eliminate polio will cost $4.5 billion, of which the governments of the world and other organizations have already committed the majority. Rotary’s share is about $500 million, so we still need your help! Clubs are asked to give at least $1,500 per year…can we count on you to do that? Many of our clubs give more than that, which is why we’ve set an aggressive goal in our District to raise $150,000. We need your help to get there, so please work within your club to give at least $1,500! Remember, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches all Rotary contributions 2 to 1.
- Promote Rotary’s role in polio eradication: You should be proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and we should make sure others know about our efforts! Do something in your community to promote our efforts in polio eradication: Host an event on World Polio Day on October 24th to share the Global Polio Update live stream, or do something else to share this important message. For more information or tips, go tohttps://www.endpolio.org/world-polio-day.
Thank you for all you do as Rotarians, and thanks for helping eradicate polio!
Sincerely,
Paul Perez, District Governor 2019-20
Kyle Haugen, District Rotary Foundation Team Leader
Charlie Cogan, District Polio Plus Team Leader