|
During the first half of the 20th century, poliomyelitis paralyzed half a million people a year. Today, the disease is on the verge of eradication.
The war against polio has been waged on many fronts for decades and never has victory been so close. It is a battle fought with two tiny drops of vaccine, sophisticated technology, and an army of dedicated volunteers who help scientists track an elusive foe. The struggle to achieve global polio eradication is a public health story of epic proportions. Rotary International is the volunteer arm of a global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. Public partners include the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rotary’s role on this team has been labeled a model for public/private partnerships for years to come.
 Rotary members are leading the charge by contributing nearly US$633 million in private funds to provide polio vaccine, technical support, medical personnel, laboratory equipment, and educational materials for health workers and parents.
Of even greater significance, Rotary members offer their compassion, time, and expertise. During National Immunization Days (NIDs), members volunteer to help at immunization posts, deliver vaccine, transport health workers, recruit fellow volunteers and squeeze countless drops of the oral polio vaccine into the mouths of children.
The mass mobilization for NIDs, referred to as “social mobilization,” involves election-style campaigning and innovative strategies to get the message to people who are cut off from the mainstream by conflict, geography, or poverty. Rotary volunteers prepare and distribute different types of mass communication tools including posters, TV spots, radio promotions, billboards, folk songs, and promotional messages that are placed on floats, trucks, rickshaws, and in local newspaper announcements.
The lengths to which they will go to get vaccine to children are heroic, traveling hundreds of kilometers on camel, by boat, by helicopter, on horseback, or on foot for days to reach every child.
The following are some examples of Rotary in action:
• Despite natural disasters, Rotarians took giant steps toward polio eradication in Pakistan, where more than 29 million children were vaccinated during NIDs in November 2005.
• In 2005, more than 2,000 Rotarians from 102 clubs joined in a massive effort to immunize 24.4 million children under the age of five in Indonesia. Campaigns lasted from the end of August through the end of September, Indonesia’s largest mass immunization drive ever.
• In India over 100,000 Rotary members, their families, and friends joined the Indian government for five consecutive years in immunizing over 170 million children on one day -- signaling the largest public health event ever in the world. Rotary regularly convenes a gathering of Muslim religious leaders to help strengthen polio eradication at the community level.
• In Nigeria, Rotary members have been instrumental in educating religious and traditional leaders on the importance of protecting children from polio. As respected leaders in their communities, Rotary members play a key advocacy role to win people’s confidence in the program.
The last several years have been pivotal in advancing the polio eradication effort, culminating in several major milestones. Among these are:
• Since 1988, some two billion children around the world have been immunized against polio thanks to the unprecedented cooperation of more than 200 countries and 20 million volunteers, backed by an international investment of $ 5 billion.
• Since Rotary began its PolioPlus program in 1985, the number of polio-endemic countries has declined from over 125 countries to four in 2006. These are: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
• In 2006, more than 375 million children were vaccinated in 36 countries using nearly 2.1 billion doses of oral polio vaccine.
• Since 1988, the number of polio cases has been reduced by 99 percent, from 350,000 to less than 2,000 in 2006. In 1988, 10 percent of the world’s children lived in polio-free countries. Today, 70 percent are living in polio-free countries, and half of the world’s population now lives in certified polio-free areas. The Americas were declared free from polio in 1994, as well as the Western Pacific region in 2000, and Europe in 2002.
Though great progress has been made, much work remains. In order to eradicate polio worldwide, every child must be reached. WHO recommends four key strategies to attain polio eradication:
1. Maintain high levels of routine immunization coverage; (parents need to bring children in on regular basis for immunizations throughout the year)
2. Conduct NIDs for children under age five;
3. Implement and maintain a rigorous reporting system and laboratory network; and
4. When cases are identified, implement mop-ups (aggressive immunization campaigns) to reach children where pockets of the disease remain.
Rotary members are doing everything in their power to ensure that polio does not make a comeback and derail the eradication goal. As one WHO official points out, “Unlike many diseases, we have the technology right now to eradicate polio. Never again will we be closer to our goal than we are today.”
The world stands firmly on the threshold of victory thanks to the achievements of the last two decades. Two billion children have been immunized, five million spared disability and over 250,000 deaths have been averted due to the efforts of Rotary International and its global partners.
What finer gift can we give every child than a world without polio? |
