$1,000,000 Donation to PolioPlus
The board of directors of the Rotary Foundation Canada announced today a donation of US $1,000,000 to the PolioPlus campaign.
 | “Remarkably there have been only two cases of wild polio reported in 2021.” “We have the wild poliovirus pinned down in the smallest geographic area in history. There are just two countries that continue to report cases of the wild virus,” said Dean Rohrs, chair of The Rotary Foundation Canada and Trustee of The Rotary Foundation. “As we work with our partners to apply innovative new strategies to reach more children, and embrace lessons learned, I’m optimistic that the end of polio is within our grasp, but we must remain vigilant in rallying global political and financial support as we push towards a polio-free world.” Barriers to eradication — like weak health systems, insecurity, and mobile and remote populations — must be overcome. Rohrs stated that this donation is because of the generosity of Canadian Rotarians. She further stated, “The Rotary Foundation Canada has had good returns on investments and favorable exchange rates. This has permitted this donation of funds from our unallocated investment earnings to support polio eradication.” If a single child has polio, all children are at risk, which underscores the need for continued funding and commitment to eradication. Rotary has committed to raising $50 million a year to be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, amounting to $150 million for polio eradication annually. Rotary has contributed more than $1.9 billion to fight the disease, including matching funds from the Gates Foundation, and countless volunteer hours since launching its polio eradication program, PolioPlus, in 1985. In 1988, Rotary became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative with the WHO, UNICEF, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Gates Foundation later joined. Since the initiative launched, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases in 1988 to 33 cases of wild poliovirus in 2018. Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. It connects 1.2 million members from more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in every country in the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. |