Press Release from RIBI

November 2002

ROTARY HELP IMMUNIZE 14 MILLION CHILDREN AGAINST POLIO IN ETHIOPIA

Part of Rotary's Global Effort to Eradicate Polio Worldwide by 2005

Fourteen million children under the age of five were immunized against polio in Ethiopia during the National Immunization Day (NID) on 25 October. Rotary members administered the drops of oral polio vaccine to children, assisted parents in getting their children vaccinated, delivered the vaccine to immunization posts, transported health workers and recruited fellow volunteers.

"I heartily welcome the visiting members of Rotary to Ethiopia who joined us in this historic effort to rid Ethiopia and the world of this crippling disease," said Shifarraw Bizuneh, Rotary's National PolioPlus Chairman for Ethiopia. "We are most grateful for their assistance."

A highly infectious disease, polio can cause paralysis and sometimes death. As there is no cure
for polio, the best protection is prevention. The oral polio vaccine can protect a child for life.

Much progress has been made toward eradicating polio in Ethiopia. Only one case of polio was reported last year, compared to 144 cases in 2000. With zero cases of polio this year in Ethiopia and only two cases of polio reported in Somalia, the Horn of Africa region is extremely close to being polio-free.

This success is due in part to Rotary club members who have volunteered during NIDs for almost a decade. Rotary clubs are located in 52 countries in Africa, and there are more than 831 clubs in Africa with almost 20,000 members.

As part of its efforts to end polio worldwide by 2005, Rotary has contributed US$5.7 million to polio eradication efforts in Ethiopia, US$182 million to eradicate polio throughout the African continent and committed US$493 million worldwide.

In recognizing these extraordinary volunteer efforts, Bhichai Rattakul, President of Rotary International said, "This volunteer spirit is what enables Rotary to move toward its goal of polio eradication. Thanks to the dedication of Rotary volunteers worldwide, the next century will begin with one less threat against the children of the world."

When Rotary began its polio immunization program in the mid 1980s, approximately 1,000 children worldwide were infected by this crippling disease every day. Last year only 483 cases

of polio were reported in 10 countries, down from the 350,000 cases estimated in 125 countries in 1988. The remaining polio endemic countries are: Afghanistan, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan.

However, to eradicate polio by 2005, every child must be reached. Gaining access to children in areas of civil unrest and upholding political commitment despite the decline of the disease are the major challenges to a polio-free world. Most critically, a funding shortfall of US$275 million is the greatest threat to polio eradication, according to the World Health Organization.

To help meet this funding challenge, Rotary members worldwide have embarked on a major campaign to raise an additional US$80 million by 2003. Rotarians in Great Britain & Ireland are currently working to raise £3 million towards the total needed. The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International has also teamed up with the United Nations Foundation (UNF) to garner as much financial support as possible from private corporations, foundations and philanthropists by the end of 2002. Rotary will also continue to reach out to governments worldwide to obtain vital financial and technical support.

In addition to raising funds, over one million men and women of Rotary have contributed both time and personal resources to immunize more than 2 billion children in 122 countries. Once eradicated, polio will be the second disease after smallpox to be eliminated worldwide.

In 1985, Rotary International served as the catalyst for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative by setting the goal to immunize all the world's children against the disease by Rotary's 100th anniversary in 2005. Rotary is the lead private sector and volunteer arm of this global partnership.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is spearheaded by the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

For further information visit www.rotary.info, www.rotary.org www.rotary-ribi.org or www.polioeradication.org.

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