Sunday, November 20, 2011

IRC Meeting on the International Rotary Move to Eliminate Polio

Former rotary district governor Herb Tromboldt shared the latest update on the Rotary International's Polio Immunication Days around the world. It's the rotary's effort to end Polio now. It's the largest humane project in the world and it was started by rotary international, which partnered with other non-governmental organizatins around the world including Unicef and the World Health Organizatioin.

Rotarians around the world have done the heavy lifting on this project to get it off the ground. Herb shared a trip by rotarians this past Feb. 2011. A team of 36 rotarians went to the Kashapur area of India to immunize children against polio. Just 90 miles from New Delhi, the people live in deplorable conditions, open sewage, sewers running over constantly, one of the ways polio is spread. Add no refrigeration, heaps of garbage everywhere, no surprise this area has been ground zero for several hundred cases of polio in the past year. 80 immunization stations were set up with three movile units, a parade kicked off the activities, and the local Indians worked with our rotarians going into all neighborhood to share the polio vaccine, just a few drops by mouth is all it takes to protect these kids.

Just one of the wonderful international projects rotary takes on. Very rewarding work!