Issue #144 March 2014 Our Foundation o the ere’s t “H MERS A Newsletter for Rotary Leaders DREA and S” DOER Do You Think It’s Time? Rotary’s PolioPlus Program worldwide effort to eradicate continues its worldwide effort to . The last reported case was eradicate polio and to make the a two-year-old girl in West world a healthier and better Bengal on 13 January 2011. place. is Polio Free.  Since 1988 2.5 Billion children have been The three-year achievement immunized against polio. sets the stage for polio-free certification of the entire  Since 1988 Rotary has Southeast Asia region by the helped to reduce the number World Health Organization. The of Polio-endemic countries Indian government also plans to from 125 to 3. convene a polio summit in  In the past 25 years, new February to commemorate this cases of polio have been victory in the global effort to reduced from 350,000 eradicate polio. annually to less than 400 in "We must now stop polio in 2003. Pakistan to both protect Pakistani Polio is Eradicated children and to safeguard our success in India and other in India. countries where we have beaten Throughout India and around this terrible disease," says India the world, Rotary clubs are PolioPlus Committee Chair celebrating a major milestone: Deepak Kapur. "Until polio is India has gone three years finally eradicated globally, all without a new case of polio. This unvaccinated children will remain is a landmark achievement for at risk of infection and paralysis, global public health and the no matter where they live."

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Do you think it’s time? (… continued) What does Ending Polio Rotarians raised $247 Million ? dollars for their rallying and initial Mean to You PolioPlus fund raiser, which was Indian Rotary member Rakesh the first of many fund raisers to Kumar has taken part in nearly follow. Keller’s theme that year was every National Day in “Rotarians -- United in Service- Indian Rotary member Rakesh Kumar has taken Dedicated to Peace”. part in nearly every National Immunization Day in the last two years. the last two years. Since joining Rotary, he has only At the June 2012 convention in missed one NID and just took part Bangkok R.I. President Sukuji in an NID on January 19, 2014. Tanaka gave us a similar rallying Rotary has been diligently “Every time I take part in an cry (Peace Through Service) and working to eradicate Polio for over 25 immunization campaign I get a Rotarians today are still diligently years and so many recent setbacks different experience and great working towards eradicating polio. are horrendous, are sickening. hospitality from parents and Although the world is close to Rotary will eventually eradicate children.” said Rotarian Kumar. eradicating Polio, recently a rise in polio. It has been suggested by “I am proud to be part of the cases of Polio with civil unrest and some Rotarians that the funding for strife and some funding shortfalls Polio’s Eradication be grouped within have placed a barrier, which is a central fund, which would include blocking certification of eradication. Polio, The Rotary Peace Centers Assassinations, Bullets Initiative, The Annual Fund and The Permanent Fund. and Bombs. Do you Think volunteers are assassinated. The polio eradication it’s Time? project to end polio in the world. I leader, Rotary’s Bob Scott’s life is Do you think it’s time to consider feel proud and happy that my recently threatened with a rifle a different major initiative. If so how country of India was declared polio- pointed at his head*. (*It was to the would we proceed? Could it happen free on January 13, which means belly not the head that the rifle pointed. I through the Council of Legislation? am just glad the unseen holder of the rifle our children will not be crippled by Would it be suggested by one of our polio and can live an independent did not have an itchy finger.”, corrected Scott.) many Rotarian Action Groups? and healthy life.” Perhaps suggested by our Trustees? World Health Organization Since 1988 Rotary’s (WHO) leaders moving the date to I met with RIPP Charles (Chuck) Highest Priority. completely eradicate Polio to 2018 Keller at Rotary’s International and The Center for Disease Control Assembly in San Diego and he It’s 25 years since the 79th RI (CDC) agreeing that our next suggested a solution. Convention in Philadelphia, PA “opportunity” for eradication is 5 USA (May 1988) when RI President years in the future. … continued Charles C. Keller announced that

“I am proud to be part of the project to end polio in the world.” Issue #144 A project of Rotary Global History Fellowship Page 3

Do you think it’s time? (… continued) “I believe if Rotary were selecting a new major initiative ..”

RIPP Chuck Keller offered, working with WHO and CDC in “My thought is that we need a new health, UNICEF in childhood areas, ‘Grand Project’ to follow within a UNESCO in literacy and education, reasonable time after Polio is and so on.” finished. But keeping in mind that “We could ask them for one the gestation period for Polio was or two suggestions, each, and then about 8 years, I think we need to do from a realistic list, let the Trustees our planning and choosing in and Directors make a choice, advance.” ultimately confirmed by the COL.” R.I. Past President “Keeping in mind the 6 “We were so lucky in Charles (Chuck) Keller areas of focus of TRF, rather than choosing Polio and our review of have the RAGS or other narrowly the history of that choice reminds committed groups pressure us, it is asking our partners for their input me how problematic it was. With my thought that we go to the might be the best direction to take.” that experience, we ought to have a world’s leading authorities in those better process the next time.+ What do you think? areas for suggestions…particularly those who know us best…our “I believe if Rotary were Eddie Blender, abilities and our limitations… and selecting a new ‘Grand Project’ EBlender@ aol.com

“Ask our Polio Eradication partners, to help us select a new Grand Project.”

Our Foundation A project of Rotary Global History Fellowship Page 4

India in each nationwide polio campaign, 2.3 million vaccinators immunize nearly 172 million children. Detailed micro-plans, intense social mobilization, strict supervision and monitoring, and daily review of the campaigns are undertaken to ensure that the campaigns are/ were of the highest quality. This is a monumental milestone for India, which until 2009 accounted for more than half the world’s polio incidence with 741 cases of polio paralysis. Experts had often believed India would be the last country to stop polio in view of the high population density, hygiene, sanitation and health conditions, which presented major challenges to eliminating the disease. The progress in India is a great credit to the strong commitment of the Government of India, seamless partnership comprising of the Government, Rotary, WHO, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation, and above all the tireless hard work of the millions of frontline workers – the vaccinators, social mobilizers and community and health workers – who continue to implement innovative strategies to KEEP India polio free.

Source : END Polio NOW Facebook Page Issue #144 Page 5 A reflection on India’s journey to polio eradication By Deepak Kapur, Chairman of India National PolioPlus Committee

In my initial years of service as Chairman of India’s National PolioPlus Committee (INPPC), I kept thinking that every year would be my final year in this area of service - but the virus would just not go away - until now. There have been many highs and lows during this time. The biggest high is not having a polio case since January 13, 2011. It looks like the dream is finally becoming reality. To see India becoming a polio-free country is a health miracle the world has never seen before. It was believed that India would be the last country in the world to eradicate polio, but we proved everyone wrong. Deepak Kapur, Chairman of India National PolioPlus Committee I distinctly recall when I took over as the Chairman of Rotary’s INPPC in 2001, Dr. Bruce Aylward from the World Health Organization called me at 1 o’clock in the morning and briefed me about the polio cases in several cities in India. With only 200 polio cases at that time, everyone thought India would be free of polio very soon. However, that hope crashed with a mini-outbreak of polio cases in Uttar Pradesh in 2002. Our mission continued for 10 more years. With no new polio cases reported for the past three years, India’s success in containing the dreaded virus has been hailed as the biggest public health achievement worldwide. For long, India’s polio story was viewed with contempt and often described as a pipe-dream. India’s story is now seen as one of remarkable leadership and commitment by the country and its people. When Rotary India started out with its dream to eradicate polio from India, we did not know what all it would take to make this possible. Looking back, I now feel that constantly reinventing and revising our strategies as per the need of the hour, along with thinking out of the box made it possible. In the last decade or so, we overcame many challenges to end polio. Early 2000, I visited a high-risk area during a polio immunization week. A mother refused by the health worker for her child. I tried to convince the mother that it was important to immunize her infant. She continually refused the polio vaccination for her child. I was stunned to see that a little boy, her older child, crawled in from the back entrance obviously crippled with polio. This lady, despite already having a child afflicted with polio was still hesitant to immunize her other infant. That day I realized how big a challenge it would be for us in India to make parents like her come around to save their children from polio. Along the way, we did it. To feel that no child’s life in India now will be wasted because of being affected by polio is a tremendous feeling of joy and fulfillment. One gets a huge sense of satisfaction from being a part of this long journey towards being a polio- free country. We have seen times when over 400 polio cases a day would be reported, which meant that the lives of not only those children but also of their families were turned upside down. To the thousands of Rotary members across India who have put in their time, money and hearts into India’s polio eradication campaign, I would like to say, “A big thank you! I am often asked, what is the way ahead for Rotary India once it realizes its dream of a polio-free India. Our job in India is not over yet. Until the rest of the world is polio-free, we have to keep working, as the polio virus can always come back. We don’t know how or when the virus may appear again and we must stay vigilant to keep India polio-free. Source : www.endpolio.org Our Foundation A project of Rotary Global History Fellowship Page 6 Twenty years of fighting polio in India By former Foundation Trustee Ashok Mahajan

Since 1993, I have been deeply involved in the polio eradication program, Rotary’s top priority, both as a member of Rotary and in various leadership positions. I have many strong memories of the challenges, triumphs and setbacks we’ve faced along the way as we pursued ending this crippling disease in my country. One thing I will always remember is the extensive efforts we made to build goodwill and acceptance of polio immunization in the Muslim community and among religious leaders.

My first extensive involvement with the campaign came in Shri K. Sankaranarayanan, governor of Maharashtra, India, administers the polio to a child being held by former Trustee Ashok Mahajan. 1997, as I worked on polio in Bhiwandi, a Looking on is the governor’s wife (left) and Rajashree Birla, who has community rampant with polio cases. I was tasked with contributed more than US$7 million for polio eradication. working with the Muslim population to gain their acceptance and we were able to proceed with immunizations. Next, I began to work in Mumbai to increase acceptance of the among Muslims there. I visited the Baba Makhdoom Shah Baba Dargah temple and through repeated meetings convinced the imam to issue his support for polio eradication. The imam agreed to announce our activities after the weekly Friday prayers, and educate people about our intentions, which convinced many people to have their children immunized against polio. As people began to accept the vaccine, resistance dropped in the Muslim community, and in due course, Mumbai became polio-free. When Uttar Pradesh in northern India became notorious as the epicenter for the virus, I was able to use my experience in Mumbai to make a difference. In 2006, Rotary’s National Committee came up with the idea of reaching out to imams, ulemas and other Muslim religious leaders to tackle resistance in the community. An initial meeting drew more than 90 religious leaders from all over Uttar Pradesh and we were able to convince them that polio immunizations are a common good for children of all religions, castes, races, and creeds. The ulemas suggested forming a committee dedicated to convincing the Muslim community to take part in immunizations. Meeting in various locales, they gained promising results. I and many other Rotary members, especially from clubs in Uttar Pradesh, traveled extensively to all the districts in the state. Our continuous efforts to involve the Muslim community in convincing their own to be immunized proved pivotal. The Ulema Committee played a key role in making National Immunization Days and Subnational Immunization Days successful in Uttar Pradesh, reducing polio rates in high- risk communities. We have come a long way from the early years when India reported cases every day. India has now gone three years without a reported case. I personally feel the journey has been an overwhelming experience. I’ve benefited from the camaraderie and strength of Rotarians, and through the process discovered a greater resiliency and resolve than I’ve ever known before. We kept our hope as we struggled through lows, fought to overcome increasing case counts, and persevered against all odds to make India polio-free. Source : Rotary Voices Issue #144 Page 7 Our Foundation A project of Rotary Global History Fellowship Page 8

“How do we stop the guns and assassinations?”

THE ERADICATION OF POLIO HAS BEEN ROTARY'S HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR 25 YEARS For the past 25 years the attention of the Rotary world was almost entirely directed to the Eradication of Polio. Rotary (with frequency) established new fund raising goals. Rotary’s attention was almost entirely directed to planning and initiating education and worldwide immunization activities by Rotary Clubs, Districts and the international committees. IS IT TIME TO STEP BACK AND RE-EVALUATE ROTARY’S POLIO ERADICATION CAMPAIGN?

FACING DOWN TALIBAN MILITANTS In 2013 there were 400 cases of polio but getting all the way to zero will mean ….  spending billions of dollars,  penetrating the most remote regions of the globe,  and facing down Taliban militants to get to the last unprotected children on earth. Polio Immunization in Pakistan.

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THE WAR ON POLIO

Here is a Pakistan senior experienced family man with great ability in handling children. He walks around the corner … And then we see this wonderful man and he’s shot dead by a drive-by being carried away to his funeral . assassin on a motor cycle.

THE WAR ON POLIO ...a political cartoon such

as this appeared in a Pakistan newspaper

under the headline Polio War

IN PAKISTAN— 22 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ATTACKS ON THE VACCINATION PROGRAM.

The border regions between areas missed by vaccine teams— Pakistani militants have been Pakistan and Afghanistan are but in 2012 Taliban leaders in living nearby, and they refuse to let wracked by violence, and their Pakistan began banning the vaccine teams in. The result is rural hinterlands are largely under in their areas, a pocket of unvaccinated children the control of a diverse array of condemning the campaign as an and a reservoir for the virus—one militant groups. American plot. that threatens to spread to the entire region if unchecked. The Taliban in Afghanistan They also started targeting have been mostly cooperative with campaign workers for Indeed, seven months earlier, the polio campaign—in the south assassination: Since the ban one of the few cases of polio of the country, where their writ is started, 22 people have been paralysis in the country was strongest, they even help point out killed in attacks on vaccine teams. reported here. Our Foundation A project of Rotary Global History Fellowship Page 10

POLIO COSTS AN ESTIMATED $1.5 BILLION A YEAR JUST TO KEEP IN CHECK. AFTER ERADICATION, SPENDING WOULD DROP TO NEARLY ZERO—FOREVER.

The original vaccination plan in 1988 was that polio would be gone by the turn of the millennium. But in 2000 there were still roughly 700 confirmed cases of polio paralysis worldwide, and the disease remained stubbornly entrenched in Africa and South Asia. Now, 13 years later, the target date has been pushed back to 2018. Reaching that goal depends on the vaccinators who go door to door in the world’s most unstable regions, trying to immunize nearly every child. More than $1 billion is spent on the polio campaign each year. By comparison, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and —diseases that kill approximately 3.2 million people each year—is seeking $15 billion in funding through 2016. IS THE POLIO CAMPAIGN WORTH IT? Steven Rosenthal, an epidemiologist at the CDC recalls, “I worried that the problems were too complex to ever be solved.” But, he goes on, the teams in these regions— particularly in India, which eliminated in 2011, and received certification on January 20, 2014, an enormous success story by any standard—learned how to solve the worst of their problems, which centered around vaccinating an Blood has been Spilled in the Polio Eradication extremely dense and impoverished population by means of a Campaign corrupt and barely functioning health care system. The key was getting above that 90 percent immunity threshold, and they did it. In Rosenthal’s mind, that was the

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AFTER THE ERADICATION OF POLIO, SPENDING WOULD DROP TO NEARLY ZERO—FOREVER. (… continued)

turning point in the campaign, and recent setbacks—like the one in Somalia—have been relatively minor by comparison. THE POLIO CAMPAIGN IS PAYING DIVIDENDS Against critics who blanch at the cost of eradication, Rosenthal counters that the polio campaign is paying dividends throughout the global health system. In Afghanistan, as elsewhere, the initiative is training a generation of health care workers in modern, goal-oriented public health practices: the cold-chain system, for example, as well as those new techniques in molecular epidemiology.

“Looking at a long enough timescale, the eradication of polio

could someday be seen as positively cheap.”

In Indonesia, Rosenthal points out, “the polio lab network we built wound up forming the backbone for their campaign. Working on the polio campaign changed the way their public health officials work.” Moreover, the math of cost-benefit analy-ses runs aground when it comes to eradication campaigns, because the benefits, in theory, are infinite. That is: No one will ever die from—or spend a dime on vaccinating against— for the remainder of human history, barring a disaster involving one of the few lingering military stockpiles. According to a 2010 study, polio eradication would generate $40 billion to $50 billion in net benefits by 2035. Looking at a long enough timescale, the eradication of polio could someday be seen as positively cheap.

Our Foundation A project of Rotary Global History Fellowship Page 12

Rotary’s International Assembly ideas, and I have always discover new felt that Rotary’s perspectives as International Assembly the Governors (IA) was the “best prepare for their meeting” of the year. It term. In addition to provides great being the first to interaction and learn the RI inspiration among DG- president’s plans Elects from over 200 for the upcoming countries. It was year, the recently held in San attendees also RI President Ron D. Burton and his Diego, California USA have the chance to wife Jetta are challenging Rotarians on 12 to 18 January share their own to Engage Rotary, Change Lives in 2014 at the Manchester district’s goals and 2013-14. Grand Hyatt. activities with fellow classmates. It’s The International The difference is that an exciting, fun, and Assembly is more than now I know how to use it informative week that just a training meeting and I have the will motivate the DG- for the incoming class of motivation to use it.” – Elects for the work district governors. It’s an Syed Shahab Balkhi ahead. opportunity to gain (District 3271), inspiration, exchange describing his “I had the knowledge. International Assembly

“I had the knowledge. The difference is that now I know how to use it

and I have the motivation to use it.”

LIGHT UP ROTARY

RI President-elect Gary so many people who in San Diego, C.K. Huang chose Light need help. Many California. Up Rotary as his theme people say, 'There's "The Rotary way is the for 2014-15. Huang nothing I can do.' So Confucius way. The was inspired by the they sit there doing Rotary way is to light a teachings of Chinese nothing. Meanwhile candle. I light one, you philosopher Confucius everything stays dark," light one, 1.2 million who said: "It is better to Huang told the 537 Rotarians light one. light a single candle, district governors and Together, we light up than to sit and curse their spouses and the world," said Huang, RIPE HUANG the darkness." partners who are who is a member of the ENCOURAGES CLUB attending the 2014 MEMBERS TO ‘LIGHT "There are so many Rotary Club of Taipei in International Assembly UP ROTARY’ problems in the world, Taiwan.

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The Host Organizing Committee for the Rotary International Convention 2014 looks forward to welcoming you to Sydney, Australia’s beautiful harbor city and host of the 2000 Olympic Games. The Rotary International Convention 2014 will be held at Sydney Olympic Park from Sunday 1st June to Wednesday 4th June 2014. There will be plenty of exciting and interesting things going on during the Sydney Convention, only some of which will be at the convention itself. We invite you to get out and explore our wonderful city and experience our Aussie culture first hand. This section of our site will help you uncover what’s on in Sydney and around our island nation during the 2014 Sydney Convention.

We invite you to get out and explore our wonderful city and experience

our Aussie culture first hand.

Australian BBQ The Opera House Rotary Restaurant Night

Australian Rules Football Match Host Hospitality Night

OUR FOUNDATION MARCH 2014, #144

Jeetendra Sharma Editor in Chief [email protected]

William “Bill” Pollard Associate Editor [email protected]

Edward “Eddie” Blender Publisher [email protected]

A monthly feature of the Rotary Global History Fellowship (RGHF)