Rotary’s involvement in polio began in 1979 with a five-year commitment to provide and help deliver polio vaccine to six million children of the Philippines.  It was the first project of the new Health, Hunger, and Humanity (3-H) program, and was funded by a grant from Rotary’s 75^th Anniversary Fund.   In the next four years, polio projects were approved for Haiti, Bolivia, Morocco, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia.   

During this period, Rotary began planning for the most ambitious program in its history—to immunize all the children of the world against polio.  The plan envisioned collaboration with international and national health agencies to help realize this dream. 

With the advice and support of the late Dr. Albert Sabin, Rotary established its PolioPlus program in 1985.  Rotary’s pledge of US$120 million, “to help immunize the children of the world,” was announced in October 1985 at the 40^th anniversary of the United Nations.  The announcement electrified the global public health community.  Although polio was the principal focus of the PolioPlus program, the “Plus” signified Rotary’s broader objective-- to help raise immunization levels against all vaccine-preventable diseases.  The financial goal of PolioPlus was determined by the cost of providing six doses of oral polio vaccine (then US.04 cents apiece) for five years to 100 million newborns.  Within three years, Rotarians had more than doubled their goal, raising US$247 million.   

From 1986 to 1989, a Rotary International Immunization Task Force fanned out around the world to create Rotary volunteer corps in more than 90 countries and linking these corps to health ministries and to global partners such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF.  Between 1988 and 1990, for example, Rotarians supported national immunization campaigns in 27 countries in South and Central America.  In every country, they demonstrated how volunteers could mobilize society.  They applied business resources and  know-how to help health workers overcome the obstacles to vaccine delivery, and helped them maintain vigilance against polio outbreaks.   

Because of the demonstrated success of the national immunization day strategy in the Americas and other regions, global health experts concluded that polio could be eradicated. Thus 166-member nations committed at the 1988 World Health Assembly to the goal of polio eradication by the year 2000.  Tremendous progress was made in the next 12 years.  The number of cases was reduced by 99 percent.  Because of civil conflict, inadequate funding, weak health infrastructures, and other obstacles, 20 countries still had transmission of the poliovirus at the end of the year 2000.  The year 200l saw a further reduction to 10 endemic countries. 

Rotary’s role in polio eradication has evolved over the past two decades.  Its role was that of a catalyst in the early days, providing money for oral polio vaccine and volunteer help in overcoming the problems of its distribution.  An early Rotary Foundation grant funded a core group of polio experts at WHO who have guided the global program. 

Rotary’s PolioPlus commitment is now well over US$500 million.  In addition, more than $33 million in funds and goods have been contributed through the PolioPlus Partners program.  The value of Rotarians’ personal involvement cannot be calculated.  Rotarians have delivered vaccine by camels and helicopters, trucks and motorbikes, staffed immunization posts, raised community awareness of the value of immunization, and in the process have helped to mobilize 10 million volunteers.   

In 1995, Rotary launched a task force to advocate the cause of polio eradication to donor governments, resulting in more than US$1.5 billion in polio-specific grants from the public sector. 

In 2000, Rotary and United Nations Foundation jointly issued a financial appeal to the private sector—foundations, corporations, and wealthy individuals—an appeal which has raised more than US$100 million.   

Despite these generous donations by governments and by the private sector, adequate funding is still the number one obstacle to achieving a polio-free world by the year 2005, Rotary’s 100^th anniversary.  The Polio Eradication Fundraising Campaign, announced last February, seeks US$80 million as a contribution to filling the funding gap, estimated by WHO at US$275 million for the period 2002-2005.  Up to $25 million of contributions to Rotary’s campaign will be matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which in turn will leverage an additional $75 million from World Bank International Development Assistance  (IDA) loans. 

The Western Hemisphere was certified polio-free in 1994, the Western Pacific in 2000, and Europe in 2002. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is recognized worldwide today as a model of public/private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal. As the leading private sector partner in this disease eradication program, Rotary’s image has been enormously enhanced.  Its achievements have vaulted Rotary into partnership with some of the world’s leading institutions.  

Rotary’s position today is far different than in 1985 when it launched PolioPlus to a public health community that doubted Rotary’s long-term commitment as well as its ability to do the job. Through the years, Rotary has emerged as the leading private sector partner in this humanitarian cause.  Rotary was awarded the WHO Gold Medal by then WHO Director General Hiroshi Nakajima.  Rotary’s partnership with WHO is today stronger than ever.  WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland, recently praised Rotarians as the first with the vision of a polio-free world, and the resolve to see the job done.