On Tuesday we are doing the Tawa Rotary version of the World’s Greatest Meal with the funds going towards Polio Plus. Polio is a viral disease, readily transmitted between people, mainly by contaminated water. It attacks the nervous system, leading to paralysis and in some cases death, there is no cure, but there is a safe and very effective vaccine and it that and its distribution we are raising funds for.

 

I was in the Mt Victoria Rotary Club when the Polio Plus Project launched in 1988, the bold aim was to eradicate Polio, a big hairy audacious goal, previously only one other viral disease has been eradicated and that was Small Pox. I have mentioned previously that the Polio Plus Project had its inception in the Philippines where a couple of Rotarians looked at the devastation Polio brings and asked “why don’t we get rid of it?”. So a bit over 30 years later, Rotary in association with the World health Organisation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have raised over US$1.6B, over 2.5 billion children have been vaccinated, the occurrences have been reduced by over 99.9% and it is now only endemic in 2 countries.

 

We cannot let up now, modelling has indicated if we give up now within a few years we could be back to hundreds of thousands of infected people.  We have got to vaccinate every last child in the community. Thank you for your contribution tonight.

 

As a reminder the 28^th of November we have Stuff the Trailer with Inner Wheel, I understand that things are well progressed in the organisation of this event so keep some time free to help out and support the local foodbank and make Rotary seen in the Community. There are rosters so please put your name down and help out.