Perhaps every Rotarian knows that Polio Plus aims to eradicate polio worldwide. But not everyone may be familiar with the meaning of "Plus" in this context.
The history of Polio goes back to 1985 when then RI president, Carlos Canseco, presented the governors in Nashville (Tennessee) a bold plan, called "Polio 2005", to eradicate polio by 2005. This plan was endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The year "2005" in that name was later changed to "Plus", as besides polio there were other, equally important needs that required action and which were significantly affecting the health and lives of children. These included medical care, bed nets, soap, but also access to water and vitamin A, which is essential for the optimal functioning of the immune system.
Polio Plus brings not only polio vaccines, but also better health service and living conditions to help to improve or save lives of millions of children around the world. In addition to the WHO, Rotary also works with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF, since 1988), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (continuously since 2000) as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Perhaps new information for some of you is that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation adds two dollars to every dollar donated by Rotary! Rotary pledged to contribute $50 million annually for the duration of 3 years to the Polio Plus project when it renewed its partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2022. Thanks to joint efforts, the incidence of polio has thus declined by 99.9%! This is something we can be rightly proud of, as every active member of Rotary D2240 contributes $10 per year to Polio Plus, under the ROTARY FOUNDATION. In addition, four Czech and Slovak clubs contributed over $1,500 in the Rotary year 2023/2024!
Thank you for your support!
On behalf of the Rotary Foundation Hana Gamrot, hana.gamrot@rotary2240.org
Sources: https://www.rotary.org/en/plus-polioplus https://hawthornrotary.org.au/stories/what-is-the-plus-in-polio-plus https://www.rotary2240.org/files/good-news/5c/rgn_1_2021_fin.pdf
