End Polio

ROTARY'S INVOLVEMENT WITH POLIO BEGAN IN 1979 WITH A MASS

IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME IN THE PHILIPPINES - LOCAL ROTARIANS WERE THE VACCINATORS - BUT THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN BEGAN IN 1988 WITH THE AMBITIOUS AIM OF ERADICATION BY 2005!

A brief history of the Rotary Foundation involvement in the project. Polio is a virus transmitted by the faecal-oral route. Permanent paralysis occurs in only 0.5% of infections. Despite this, it was widespread throughout the world leading to thousands of mostly children suffering from debilitating paralysis which in the worst cases led to death. The virus only survives in humans and as such could be eradicated if the cycle of infection could be broken. To achieve this the immunisation of millions of children under the age of 5 was needed. The Rotary Foundation identified this as a cause that could be pursued and ultimately persuaded the World Health Organisation to support its effort. This effort was greatly enhanced by being joined by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. The reach of the network of Rotary clubs throughout the world provided the means to distribute and administer the vaccines. Their hard work together with the enthusiastic help of the local populations has reduced detected cases of Polio infection from 350,000 cases in 1988 to just 22 cases in 2017. Complete eradication has been hampered by the ability of the very weak live virus used in oral drop vaccination to mutate and to become virulent. The effort has now switched to using an inactivated vaccination that requires injection. The effort continues because if there are any cases left there is always the chance that Polio will regain a significant foothold. We all hope that this effort will be ultimately successful.