NEW CASES IN AFGHANISTAN, MALAWI
District leaders …
As Rotary’s birthday approaches next week, there is no better gift than Clubs and Rotarians ‘digging deep’ to support our priority project – POLIO PLUS!
We are reminded regularly that Rotary International needs to raise US$50 million each year to ensure we collect the 2:1 match from the Gates Foundation and grow that vital sum of money to US$150 million.
President Shekhar at the beginning of this Rotary year requested all clubs to donate US$1,500 to the END POLIO NOW campaign – and many clubs have already done so. If EVERY club joins in, our job will be done!
The discovery of one new case of the wild poliovirus in Malawi, Africa, last week serves as a chilling reminder that our work is NOT done and fundraising becomes more vital. This follows the news of one further case in Afghanistan the previous week.
Rotarians ‘down under’ has a responsibility to make a personal donation to Polio – no matter how large or small. The cost of our annual commitment to eradication is US$430 million, plus the US$100 million from the Gates Foundation.
Rotary’s Centurion program requires donations of $100 a year and this can be directed towards Rotary’s Polio fund. Similarly, we launched the Clem Renouf/Bill Boyd END POLIO NOW Club last year – and that requires just a modest amount of $10 per year. This ensures that no Rotarian is priced out of the ‘personal giving’ market.
Call our District Polio Chair Bob Aitken if you need guidance on how to set up a Clem Renouf/Bill Boyd END POLIO NOW Club.
Friends, don’t miss out on the opportunity to give someone their life back.
We really are on the cusp of eradicating the dreaded wild poliovirus from our world.
The news of ONE case of wild poliovirus in the small nation of Malawi last week mars the polio-free status of the African continent. Malawi is squeezed between Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia on the west side of the horn of Africa.
Whilst this is disappointing, it underlines the efficiency of surveillance systems within our END POLIO NOW campaign. Vaccinations will be intensified in the area where the case was discovered. Further details will be shared as soon as possible.
Just ONE case in Afghanistan so far this year and just FIVE cases in 2021. We’re still on the way to a goal established way back in 1985.
PLEASE, GALVANISE YOUR CLUBS INTO FUNDRAISING AWARENESS AND ACTION NOW!
