PolioPlus Eradication / 根除小兒麻痺等疾病

Facts about polio  

• Timeline

Glossary of polio eradication terms

Rotary’s work  

• PolioPlus program
• A brief history of PolioPlus

Help eradicate polio

• Challenges to polio eradication
• Four key strategies for stopping poliovirus transmission
• Contribute to stopping polio
• Volunteering and raising awareness

Related documents:

• PolioPlus_Brochure -pdf

• ROTARIANS MOBILIZING FOR SURVEILLANCE -pdf

• 議題一與二：分組討論領導人名單

• Topic1:Workshop Discussion Leaders-List

Rotary’s US$100 Million Challenge  扶輪一億美元的挑戰:

• www.rotary.org/endpolio

• 扶輪的1億美元挑戰

• Rotary's $100 Million Challenge

PolioPlus Status Report

Background

·        Rotarians confirmed at the 2007 Council on Legislation that eradicating Polio is Rotary International’s top priority. 

·        Progress towards eradication has been made over the past year, although major challenges remain such as reaching all children, sustaining political commitment, and securing the necessary funds from donor nations and polio-endemic and high risk countries. 

Speaking Points

Rotary’s top philanthropic goal is certification of the eradication of the wild poliovirus.

·        A crippling and sometimes deadly disease, polio is still endemic in four countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan) and threatens children in these and other countries suffering importations of the wild poliovirus. 

·        For as little as US$.60 cents worth of oral polio vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.

Tremendous progress has been made toward ending polio worldwide.

·        In the 1980’s, 1,000 children were infected by this crippling disease every day in over 125 countries.  

·         In the two decades since Rotary and its global partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, polio cases have been slashed by 99 percent. Approximately  1200 cases were reported in 2007,over 40 percent less than the number of cases in 2006.

Great progress has been made in Asia and Africa, although much work needs to be done in India and Nigeria. 

·        Overall, progress was made in Asia and Africa, however, intensified efforts must continue in northern India and northern Nigeria which account for nearly 90 percent of the global total of all polio cases. 

·        The number of polio cases in 2007 is over 40 percent less than in 2006, and polio is limited to relatively small geographic areas in the four remaining polio endemic countries.

New developments

·        The new Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan vowed that “we will finish polio.”  She has traveled to all of the polio endemic countries to personally advocate for polio eradication.   

·        The two new polio vaccines introduced in 2005 that provide faster and better immunity against polio are being fully utilized. As a result, the number of cases of type 1 polio (the most dangerous and virulent polio strain) is at the lowest ever in history. 

·        In late 2007, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded The Rotary Foundation a US$100 million challenge grant for its polio eradication efforts. Rotary will match this grant dollar-for-dollar over three years beginning 1 January 2008. This new fundraising initiative is known as “Rotary’s US$100 Million Challenge.” 

o   The RI Board of Directors and The Rotary Foundation Trustees have unanimously agreed to accept this challenge grant at a critical juncture for the polio eradication initiative, which needs an infusion of funds to reach the eradication goal. For this reason, the initial $100 million will be distributed by The Rotary Foundation through grants to the World Health Organization and UNICEF in direct support of polio immunization activities in 2008. 

o   Rotary club and Rotarian participation in this effort is crucial to making it a success. Each club is being challenged to organize a public fundraising event to raise a minimum of $1,000 annually for the next three years. 

Rotary clubs around the world have contributed to the goal of eradicating polio.

·        Rotary members have donated their time and money to help immunize more than 2 billion children in 122 countries. 

·        Rotary is the largest private supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. By the time the world is certified polio-free, Rotary’s contributions to the global polio eradication effort will exceed US$850 million. 

·        In addition to raising and contributing funds, Rotary has provided an army of volunteers to promote and assist during national immunization campaigns. Rotary members assist with vaccine delivery, social mobilization, and administering the oral polio vaccine to children. 

·        Rotary’s community-based leadership, volunteer support and initial funding for vaccine were the catalyst for the World Health Assembly's resolution in 1988 to eradicate polio.   

Rotary will continue the fight until the world is certified polio-free and every child is safe from this devastating disease.

·        Once eradicated, polio will be the second disease after smallpox ever to be eliminated worldwide. 

·        Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service and to help build goodwill and peace in the world. 

Resources

·        For more information regarding PolioPlus, please contact Carol Pandak, Manager, Division of PolioPlus at 1-847/866-3304, or at carol.pandak@rotary.org.