“You will hear and see more about polio this year than ever before.”
That’s what Past District Governor Marilyn Sanderson, the District 5330 PolioPlus chair, told members of the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead.
The reason? There will be an emphasis on polio this year by Rotary International President Olayinka “Yinka” Babalola.
And why the emphasis? “Polio fatigue,” Sanderson said. “We have heard about polio eradication since 1988. We are this close but we haven’t seen the gap close. It’s not in the front of our minds now but it should be.
“We don’t stop doing things as Rotarians because people might lose interest.”
Sanderson went on to say that when people ask what’s next after polio, “the answer is there is no next. Until we finish this in a couple of years, we’ll be done. Until then, we’re not finished.”
In tracing the history of Rotary’s quest to eradicate polio, Sanderson noted it started in 1988 in the Philippines with a grant. “We said, ‘Let’s see if we can do this, eliminate polio.’ The Philippines is a series of islands. We eliminated polio on one island and moved on to the next. It was pretty much guaranteed to be a success.
“Then we said, ‘Let’s take on the world.’”
Currently there are only two countries where wild polio is present: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both, Sanderson said, have things in common that make it difficult to get the vaccine to them. The geography is mountainous with a harsh climate. It’s hard to get from one village to the another. In addition, a lot of misinformation is put out by the political leaders in those countries.
People have been successful in joining the vaccination teams, primarily women. They are trained and know how to go into the houses, what to say, what to do. They go house to house and keep extensive records on each child and how many vaccinations they have received.
The first country with testing and vaccinations countrywide was Russia, Sanderson said. Prior to that, both Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin tested the vaccines they had developed on their families; they were certain it was safe and would work.
How do we fight polio? “It takes a lot of money,” Sanderson said. Where do we get it? “Several countries commit thousands of dollars. Initially there would have been no U.S. funding but Rotary International worked behind the scene and money is there now to continue the polio fight.”
The money also comes from Rotarians. “We promised we would raise $50 million every year so it could be matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation,” Sanderson said, adding she had just learned that “we did it – we have the $50 million this year” and that will become $150 million.
Sanderson then recognized those Rotarians present who are members of the PolioPlus Society, pledging to donate at least $100 each year through the Rotary Foundation.
“If you haven’t done this,” she said, “my question is why.”
And then she acknowledged those who have had their pets join the PolioPlus Kennel Klub, the newest member of which is a hawk. “There are lizards, birds, llamas, goats, a burro” in addition to dogs and cats, Sanderson said.
As she wrapped up her presentation, Sanderson looked at her fellow Rotarians and said, “If I haven’t touched your heartstrings about polio, I don’t know what else to say.”
As of Aug. 2, there were 15 cases of wild polio in Afghanistan and three in Pakistan. To donate to the effort to end polio, visit my.rotary.org/en/polioplus-fund.
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