The Smithville Rotary Club will join with more than 32,000 rotary clubs around the world on Oct. 23 in celebration of World Polio Day. Rotary International has been involved with other world health organizations (WHOs) for over 30 years in attempting to eradicate polio around the world. The effort has been successful in immunizing children against polio in all but two countries worldwide, but efforts must continue.
Bill and Melinda Gates recognized Rotary’s passion and support for polio eradication in 2007, and entered into a partnership to eliminate polio. The Gates Foundation initially gave the Rotary Foundation a $100 million challenge grant, which matched every dollar every dollar raised by Rotarians two-to-one.
The grant was increased to $355 million in 2009. Rotary agreed to raise $200 million in matching funds by June 30, 2012, and actually raised $228.7 million.
World Polio Day begins a bold chapter in the partnership between Rotary and the Gates Foundation in their continuing support of the worldwide campaign to eradicate polio. As announced at the Rotary International Convention in Lisbon, Portugal earlier this year, The Gates Foundation will match up to $25 million per year two-to-one. Every dollar is committed to reduce the shortfall for polio eradication through 2018.
This continuing effort, called “End Polio Now-Make History Today,” comes during a critical phase for the global Polio Eradication Initiative, which includes most WHOs.
The estimated cost of the initiative’s 2013-18 program is $5.5 billion. Funding committments announced at the Global Vaccine Summit last April totaled $4 billion. The Rotary/Gates Foundation fund can reduce or eliminate this deficit.
Your Smithville Rotary Club is doing their part to stamp out polio once and for all. If you wish to support this cause, contributions may be made to the “Rotary Foundation” or the “Smithville Rotary Club” and be dropped off at the Review or First Bank.
Let’s make a difference.