James
L. Bomar, 1979-80 RI President, administers the first drops of vaccine
to a Philippine child 29 September, 1979, launching the Philippine
poliomyelitis immunization effort which set the stage for Rotary's
efforts to end polio. by Arnold R. Grahl - Rotary
International News
On a sunny afternoon
in September 1979, Rotarians and delegates of the Philippine Ministry
of Health looked on as volunteers administered drops of the lifesaving
Sabin polio vaccine to about 100 children in the Manila barrio of
Guadalupe Viejo.
The date was 29 September,
and when then-RI President James L. Bomar Jr. put the first drops
of vaccine into a child's mouth, ceremonially launching the Philippine
poliomyelitis immunization effort, Rotary's first Health, Hunger
and Humanity (3-H) Grant project was underway.
Hundreds of Philippine Rotarians and community members were on hand
as Enrique M. Garcia, the country's minister of health, joined with
Bomar to sign the contract committing Rotary International and the
government of the Philippines to the joint five-year effort to immunize
about six million children against polio in a US$760,000 immunization
drive.
The success of the project
ultimately led to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, of which
Rotary is a spearheading partner, created in 1988 by a unanimous
vote of the World Health Assembly. It also set the stage for Rotary's
signature campaign to rid the world of polio.
On the 30th anniversary
of the first 3-H grant, that campaign is moving forward as strongly
as ever. Through the work of Rotary and its partners, the number
of polio cases has been slashed by more than 99 percent. When Rotary
began its eradication work, polio infected more than 350,000 children
annually. In 2008, fewer than 2,000 cases were reported worldwide.
Global health experts
have stepped up efforts to end the disease in the four countries
where it remains endemic -- Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge, which ends 30 June 2012, is seen
as crucial to the initiative's success.
The 3-H grant program
also continues to evolve under the Future Vision Plan, The Rotary
Foundation's blueprint to simplify its grant structure, direct more
resources to projects with high-impact and sustainable outcomes,
and gain greater public recognition for the Foundation's work. A
three-year pilot phase, from 2010 to 2013, will test the model and
identify areas for retooling. Districts have already been selected
to participate in the pilot.
========
In a 1993 interview, Bomar reminisced about the trip. He recalled
how the brother of one of the children he had immunized tugged on
his pant leg to get his attention, and said, “Thank you, thank
you, Rotary.”
The success of this
project set the stage for Rotary's top priority to rid the world
of polio. As a result of Rotary’s efforts, more than two billion
children have received the oral polio vaccine. Since Rotary launched
its PolioPlus campaign in 1985, the number of polio cases worldwide
has dropped 99 percent, and the virus remains endemic in only four
countries -- Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
Polio eradication is
within our grasp. But if we don’t eradicate the disease now,
the risk of crippling and deadly polio outbreaks will continue to
threaten the world’s children. Learn about the challenges
to polio eradication and the current strategies Rotary and its polio
eradication partners are using. Help Rotary get the job done by
contributing to Rotary’s PolioPlus program or volunteering
and creating awareness of polio.
Did you know that more
than 10 million children will be paralyzed in the next 40 years
if the world fails to eradicate polio? Embark on a virtual tour
of “Whatever Happened to Polio?” an exhibit of the Smithsonian’s
National Museum of American History that chronicles the history
of the disease and efforts to eradicate it. The exhibit is now on
permanent display at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation.
Four key strategies
for stopping poliovirus transmission:
1. Routine immunization - High infant-immunization coverage with
four doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the first year of life
is critical. Routine immunization is essential because it’s
the primary way that polio-free countries protect their children
from the threat of imported polio.
2. National Immunization
Days - For decades, Rotary’s PolioPlus program has been one
of the driving forces during National Immunization Days, or NIDs.
Rotarians are involved in myriad ways before, during, and after
an NID, by providing funds for millions of drops of vaccine, promoting
upcoming campaigns in the community, distributing vaccine to local
health centers, serving as monitors, working with local officials
to reach every child, and participating in surveillance efforts.
3. Surveillance - Rotarians
play an important role in working with health workers, pediatricians,
and others to find, report, and investigate cases of acute flaccid
paralysis in timely manner (ideally within 48 hours of onset). PolioPlus
sometimes helps fund containers that preserve the integrity of stool
samples during transport to laboratories. The program has also played
a leading role in providing equipment for the global poliovirus
laboratory.
4. Targeted mop-up campaigns
- Rotary’s support of mop-up campaigns is similar to NID volunteering,
but on a smaller, often “house-to-house,” scale.
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