In 1985 Rotarians made a promise to the children of the world. We promised them that we would eradicate polio from the face of the earth. On the day that we made that promise there were 125 countries on 5 continents that were polio endemic and during the year of 1985 more than 350,000 children—nearly 1,000 children every single day—were paralyzed or died as a result of the polio virus.
Since 1985 Rotarians have raised more than $2.1 billion for this noble cause and with that money Rotarians have been able to provide polio vaccine to more than 3.5 billion children. Two of the three strains of the polio virus have been eradicated, only two countries remain polio endemic—Afghanistan and Pakistan—and the World Health Organization estimates that there are now more than 21 million children who—today—are alive and healthy and running an playing with their friends but who would have been paralyzed by polio but for Rotary’s polio eradication program.
But we have accomplished even more. Rotary’s polio eradication program is called “PolioPlus.” It’s called PolioPlus because the polio vaccine is most often given in conjunction with a vitamin supplement and with vaccines for measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. The vitamin supplement alone has been credited with saving the lives of more than 3 million children. Since 1985 the number of deaths from measles has dropped from more than 2 million a year worldwide to fewer than 100,000 a year worldwide. We have seen similar declines in the number of deaths from tuberculosis, diphtheria and tetanus.
In 2014 the west coast of Africa experienced an ebola pandemic. The ebola virus is very contagious (much more contagious than covid) and very deadly—50% of the people who contract the virus will die from the virus. At the outset of the pandemic many health care professionals were predicting millions of deaths. When all was said and done fewer than 14,000 people died during the pandemic. The primary reason the ebola virus was so well contained—according to the World Health Organization—was because of the surveillance and distribution systems that are in place today as part of Rotary’s polio eradication program.
To help us reach our goal of a polio-free world the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has extended its generous challenge. For the rest of this year and all of next year the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will continue to match twice every contribution that we make to Rotary’s polio eradication program. If you contribute $100 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute an additional $200. If you contribute $1,000 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute an additional $2,000. What a great way to triple the value of an already incredibly worthwhile tax-deductible charitable contribution!
Our predecessors in Rotary have done the heavy lifting. Let’s finish the job that they started in 1985 so that someday soon we will be able to celebrate the fact that polio has been eradicated from the face of the earth and so that someday soon we will be able to celebrate the fact that no child will ever again be paralyzed by polio.