The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a fight to end polio, is led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative which includes Rotary International, UNICEF, U.S. A, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, WHO, Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation.
Rotary has been one of the pioneers in this campaign since 1985 when the club launched the PolioPlus campaign, the first and largest internationally coordinated private sector support of a public health initiative with an initial pledge of $120 million USD. In 1988, Rotarians raised $247 million USD for PolioPlus, more than double their fundraising goal.
In 1995 Rotarians, health workers and volunteers immunized 165 million children in China and India in a single week. Rotary further launched the PolioPlus Partners program enabling Rotarians in polio free countries to provide financial support to their fellow Rotarians in Polio-affected countries for immunization campaigns and other polio eradication activities.
Continuing their fund raising drive, the Rotary Foundation raised $119 million USD from its membership in a 12-month campaign with a total contribution to Polio eradication exceeding $500 million USD.
In 2009, Rotary’s overall contribution efforts neared $800 million USD. In January, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $355 million and issued Rotary a Challenge Grant of $200 million which became known as Rotary’s $200 million Challenge.
For the year 2017, Rotary raised over $41 billion USD to the Polio Eradication Campaign worldwide. Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries. For as little as $0.60, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life. With 1.2 million members in more than 34,000 clubs worldwide, Rotary International is dedicated to Volunteerism, high ethical standards and goodwill.
BM/23/11/17
By Betty Milton
Friday November 24, 2017.
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