Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Rotary Awareness: Polio Eradication
Did you know that...
...by 2007, polio cases have fallen 99% worldwide. Since 2004, new surveillance standards and laboratory processes have ensured that every country can detect every circulating poliovirus more rapidly than ever. Every re-infected country has already stopped its outbreak or is on the verge of doing so; since 2006, new international response guidelines stop outbreaks faster than ever. Most importantly, 5 million children are walking who would have been paralyzed and more than 1.5 million lives have been saved.
We can all be proud of the success achieved by Rotary and its world health partners. Polio eradication remains a top priority of Rotary International. District 5110 has earmarked $10,000 this year and $20,000 for 2008-2009 year to match our PolioPlus contributions. The Rotary Foundation trustees have committed to further 50% match for individual contributions and a 100% match for District funds! District clubs and individuals have already raised nearly $7,000 towards the $10,000 goal for this year!
For more information, visit District 5110’s PolioPlus page at http://www.swiftpage4.com/SpeClicks.aspx?Acc=rotary5110.enews&SPCED=C080226173600&LNK=9&UId=430. You can also learn more about the international effort to stop polio by logging on to the recently updated Rotary International website at http://www.swiftpage4.com/SpeClicks.aspx?Acc=rotary5110.enews&SPCED=C080226173600&LNK=10&UId=430 and clicking on the PolioPlus picture.
Update provided by: Claire J. Little, District 5110 PolioPlus Chair
Rotary's Global Impact
As members of the world’s first service club organization, Rotarians have consistently put Service Above Self to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. In addition to educational programs, which includes the Group Study Exchange (GSE) program, The Rotary Foundation funds and Rotarians worldwide support a wide range of humanitarian projects.
PolioPlus is one of the most far-reaching Rotary humanitarian projects to date. To eradicate polio, Rotarians have mobilized by the hundreds of thousands to ensure that children are immunized against this crippling disease and that surveillance is strong despite the poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and civil strife of many countries. The remaining active polio cases in four polio-endemic, recently endemic, and high-risk countries, are hoped to be eliminated soon through intensified eradication efforts, including National Immunization Days, poliovirus transmission monitoring, and other activities. Since the PolioPlus program’s inception in 1985, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine though Rotary's partnership with the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and UNICEF.
Other humanitarian projects focus on hunger, health and literacy issues worldwide. Rotarian are committed to assure safe water supplies to children in the most remote and impoverished regions, empower their parents to become self-sufficient through micro-credit projects, and combat illiteracy worldwide. Although Rotary is not a disaster relief organization, it contributes to those efforts through its ShelterBox program.
January is Rotary Awareness Month.
PolioPlus is one of the most far-reaching Rotary humanitarian projects to date. To eradicate polio, Rotarians have mobilized by the hundreds of thousands to ensure that children are immunized against this crippling disease and that surveillance is strong despite the poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and civil strife of many countries. The remaining active polio cases in four polio-endemic, recently endemic, and high-risk countries, are hoped to be eliminated soon through intensified eradication efforts, including National Immunization Days, poliovirus transmission monitoring, and other activities. Since the PolioPlus program’s inception in 1985, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine though Rotary's partnership with the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and UNICEF.
Other humanitarian projects focus on hunger, health and literacy issues worldwide. Rotarian are committed to assure safe water supplies to children in the most remote and impoverished regions, empower their parents to become self-sufficient through micro-credit projects, and combat illiteracy worldwide. Although Rotary is not a disaster relief organization, it contributes to those efforts through its ShelterBox program.
January is Rotary Awareness Month.
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