ROTARY INTERNATIONAL'S NATIONAL POLIOPLUS SOCIETY

Dr.P. NARAYANA, Vice-Chairman, Sharavathi Nursing Home, B.H.Road, SHIMOGA - 577201. Tel: 08182-223560(O), 278693.(R). Mob: 98441 37136 , E-mail: [email protected] FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE-CHAIRMAN Date : 05-09-2014 Dear Rotary Leaders, Greetings from India National plus Committee. Congratulations on becoming the privileged Club president during the special Rotary year 2014-15 – a year signaling new dawn after exceedingly long and dark dreadful nights, in which thousands of our precious children had been lamed and crippled. A New India ... a POLIO FREE INDIA- 2014. .... A year when India made it to the list of countries that successfully eradicated polio, a year when India realized that the Dreams can also Come TRUE. For every Rotarian becoming a Club president is the stepping stone to lead Rotary in future. This is your time and place to prove your leadership and commitment. Don't let it just be a year in life . As the Vice-chairman of the India National Polio plus Committee I consider myself to be privileged to be serving with you during the great year.

13 January should be one of the most important dates in Rotary Calendar in India. It was on 13 January 2011 that Rukhsar Khatoon the last child ever to be paralyzed by polio in India was reported! On 13th January, 2014, India reached a major milestone in the history of – Three years without any case of Polio being recorded!! And on 27th March 2014, WHO South-East Asia Region, home to a quarter of the world's population, was certified POLIO-FREE by an independent commission under the WHO certification process. This is the fourth of six WHO Regions to be certified, marking an important step towards global polio eradication. With this step, 80% of the world's population now lives in certified polio-free regions.

Your year as ClubPresident is a historic year for Rotary in India. For a nation that notoriously had, only four years ago, the largest number of Polio cases in the world, this is clearly an unprecedented achievement. It is over 20 years since supplementary Polio drive in the form of “” was launched in the country to not just prevent but eliminate Polio from the country. Yes India's efforts in eradication of Polio have reached new heights. Rotarians in India must be proud that they made commitments and delivered the commitments.

POLIO FREE INDIA feeling is good, but complacency could be the worst challenge for the programme. Many believe with the certification of India becoming Polio Free early this year, the task against Polio for Rotary is over. They sure cannot be farther from truth because Rotary's task is not over as long as there is Polio virus anywhere in the world. Even today Globally 3 countries [Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria] continue to be endemic with polio with outbreaks in 7 countries [Somalia, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Cameron, Syria, Ethiopia and Kenya] Rotary's priority has been ending Polio from the world and that goal is still unattained. I urge you to use your network, platform and reach to ensure that the important message of continuing with the making the WORLD POLIO FREE is spread and impressed upon. We must protect what is achieved in India-KEEP INDIA POLIO FREE – but also build on it further to make WORLD POLIO FREE.

NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAY 18th January, 2015 and 22nd February, 2015 We cannot lower our guard in the matter of immunizing the children against Polio for a considerable length of time. Even though the wild Polio virus is no longer circulating in India; there is always the risk of an imported strain entering through our porous borders. And our neighbor has them in plenty.. “Reaching the top is one part of victory, the other is to remain there and that is far more challenging”. It is a fact known to all that we are working in one of the most fertile grounds for Polio virus, coupled with the challenges that a country as huge and populated as ours poses. The virus enjoys a free-run if let loose.

The critical issues are well defined: The Oral Polio must reach every child during the National Immunization Days wherever the child lives. Importance of Routine Immunization must be propagated effectively. Routine Immunization, one of the four pillars for polio eradication helps sustain population immunity against polio , reduces risk of circulation of , and it is an important component of the POLIO END GAME .In addition, Routine Immunization protects children against other vaccine preventable diseases. There cannot be any more excuses for leaving any child unimmunized. Remember: Reaching Vaccine to every child was the first promise Rotary made in 1985 and that is “POLIO PLUS” of Rotary. As the end-game of Polio Eradication is on, focus will now be on Strengthening Routine Immunization, the last stride towards Polio eradication. For this a Routine Immunization structure has to be in place in every Rotary /Inner wheel Club and every club should get involved in Routine Immunization as priority programme throughout the year.

The World Health Assembly, the governing body of the World Health Organization, has declared polio a public health emergency: If any child in the world is permanently paralyzed by Polio it is now a Global Emergency. If any child in the world is not reached by Oral it is now an emergency. In this emergency we must be faster; more focused and be fully accountable.

Government of India has tentatively decided to hold Two National Immunization Days for Pulse Polio Immunization on 18th January, 2015 and 22nd February, 2015. Rotarians have always participated in the programme with zeal and Enthusiasm and I request you to ensure the same momentum. As the Club President it will be Your responsibility reach the Polio Vaccine to every Child on National immunization days and to every new born as part of Routine Immunization. Remember 'Polio Eradication is the only programme that every Club is mandated to carry out.” I am just a phone call away for any help any time on Polio related matters. We will serve together, contributing up to the very end. The children of today and tomorrow will say “Thank you Rotary”. As you set out this year to Light up Rotary, you will not only change lives, you will also change the course of history, for every child and for Rotary. Yours in Rotary

“This is a momentous victory for the millions of health workers who have worked with governments, nongovernmental organizations, civil society and international partners to eradicate polio from the Region. It is a sign of what we can bequeath our children when we work together,” - Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director for the WHO South-East Asia Region. “Until polio is globally eradicated, all countries are at risk and the Region's polio-free status remains fragile. High immunization coverage can prevent an imported virus from finding an under immunized, susceptible population. A sensitive surveillance system, able to quickly detect and identify any importation and guide a programmatic response, is critical,”

WHO's South-East Asia Region comprises the following 11 Member States: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

TO: Rotary and Inner wheel leaders in R.I. Districts 2980, 3160, 3170, 3180 & 3190