Polio Plus Update 2009

GLOBAL HEALTH COMMUNITY COMMITS MILLIONS IN

AGGRESSIVE PUSH FOR POLIO ERADICATION

Rotary International, Gates Foundation and UK Government pledge critically needed funds and urge donor and endemic country governments to help end crippling childhood disease

Rotary International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the British and German governments today committed more than $630 million in new funds to fight polio, a crippling and sometimes fatal disease that still paralyzes children in parts of Africa and Asia and threatens children everywhere.In addition to pledging needed funds, leaders urged additional donors and leaders of countries where polio still exists to join them in an aggressive push for eradication.

News broke today (Wednesday January 21^st) that the Gates Foundation is awarding a $255 million challenge grant to Rotary, which Rotary will match with $100 million raised by its members over the next three years.At the same time, the UK government is giving an additional