Putting an end to polio - Rotary's gift to the world - we are so close!
Rotary is an international community that brings together leaders who step up to take on the world’s toughest challenges, locally and globally. The eradication of polio is one of our longest standing and most significant efforts. Along with our partners, we have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries. We have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide and we won't stop until we end the disease for good
On May 21st 2018 Lawson Ham, Rotarian, took part in the "Rotary GRAND Tour"
The aim was to reach as many checkpoints as possible in each Rotary District.
The money raised went to the End Polio Now campaign.
Thirty years ago Rotary started working with the WHO and UNICEF to eradicate the disease polio by immunising all the children in the world. At the beginning of this century Bill and Melinda Gates joined in, trebling the amount of money raised by Rotarians worldwide. Two of the three strains of polio have been eliminated, and this year only seven cases have been reported, down from 1000 cases a day at the outset.
When a child has received the vaccine (which is often administered by volunteer Rotarians) their little finger is painted purple. As a fundraiser purple crocuses have been planted all over the country, and recently Tiptree jams have donated a jar of jam to every Rotarian in the hope they will raise money with it. The Inner Wheel Club of Launceston, all related to Rotarians, gave a tea party which raised enough money, when combined with Rotary donations, to immunise 5000 children.