POLIO WILL BE THE 2ND DISEASE ERADICATED BY MAN!

Posted by Mary Jean Ewing (Boulder) maryjeanewing@earthlink.net 
 
 
Donations Received to Immunize Over 750,000 Children!
 
Our District continues to generously support Rotary International's PolioPlus Campaign to eradicate polio in the world.  We are well aware of the need to reach this goal.  This past month has seen the year-to-date figure of only 33 cases of polio in the two endemic countries of Pakistan (28) and Afghanistan (5).  July 24th marked one year since a polio case was found in Nigeria, marking an important step towards eradication of polio from the African continent.
 
Polio will be the 2nd disease ever eradicated by man!  It will happen because of people like you who have given to Rotary's PolioPlus program. These funds, given thru Rotary's PolioPlus, (endpolio.org) continue to be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It takes only $.60 to immunize one child. Millions of children under 5 around the world will need immunization until the world is polio free.  This year our District donated $160,792, which with RI DDF World Fund match and the 2:1 Gates match, has resulted in enough funds to immunize 756,076 children.
 
Our current, RI President, K.R. 'Ravi' Ravindran, and Rotary Foundation Chair Ray Klinginsmith recently noted:  "With the ambitious scope of Rotary’s PolioPlus program, our efforts are having a far-reaching, transformative impact beyond the eradication of polio. With the infrastructure put in place by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), Nigeria not only reduced its polio caseload by 90% in 2014, but it also successfully thwarted the world’s most lethal Ebola outbreak to date, in only 90 days, a response faster than even the U.S., and rightly praised by the World Health Organization as ‘world-class’. 
 
In Nigeria and elsewhere, the Initiative provides a blueprint to reach all children with a package of lifesaving vaccines and health interventions. This is a vital step on the path to human development, as we know that with improved public health, more resources can be channeled towards education and economic growth."  This will be part of the legacy of Rotary's efforts.
           
Rotary started this campaign 30 years ago, when many believed it couldn't be done. The campaign will finish 3 years following the last diagnosed polio case, during which time vaccination and surveillance programs will need to continue.
 
Peg Johnston and the entire Polio Committee thank you for all you have done and look forward to your continued support. We will eradicate polio with your help!!!
 
FILM SCREENING:   Of interest may be the film screening on Wednesday, August 26th of, "Every Last Child," a documentary by award winning filmmaker Tom Roberts, which is the dramatic story of five people impacted by the current polio crisis in Pakistan. 
 
When:  Wednesday, August 26
Where: Sie Film Center, 2510 E. Colfax, Denver 80206
What:   Reception at 6 pm; Screening is followed by an expert panel discussion. 
Cost:   $10