Dear Polio Eradication Warriors,

Three new Wild Polio cases reported this week. See attached report.

What is that Polio picture? It's World Immunization Week! As scientists work to find a vaccine for the new Coronavirus, we can do our part to keep our communities healthy by helping Rotary spread the word about the importance of vaccinations during World Immunization Week, 24-30 April.

Immunizations save millions of lives every year and are widely recognized as one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases continue to put children’s health at risk around the world.

Rotary knows firsthand that #VaccinesWork. Since 1985, we’ve contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children from Polio. When children often receive the Polio vaccine, their pinkie fingers are marked with purple ink so health workers will know which children received the vaccine. Today, only two countries continue to report cases of Polio caused by the wild Poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Take action in three easy ways:

1. Raise awareness of vaccination and polio eradication efforts by painting your nails — or pinkie — purple, or customize our new End Polio Now artwork with your signature and words of support. Post your pictures on social media using the hashtags #EndPolio and #VaccinesWork.
2. Download Rotary’s World Immunization Week Toolkit to get graphics and sample social media posts.
3. Donate to Rotary’s PolioPlus Fund. Your contribution will be tripled, thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Glenna Goodacre. Ms. Goodacre sculpted the PolioPlus statue at One Rotary Center in Evanston, Illinois. Dedicated in 1991, the statue depicts a Rotary member immunizing a child against polio with other children looking on. As we work to achieve a Polio-free world, Ms. Goodacre's statue reminds us of our commitment to end polio and provides us inspiration to finish the job. We are so thankful for Ms. Goodacre’s creative contribution to Rotary’s Polio eradication efforts.
Pause in immunization campaigns - The GPEI (Global Polio Eradication Initiative) All countries planning to conduct Poliovirus preventative campaigns are advised to temporarily postpone these campaigns until the second half of 2020. Countries which were planning to conduct Poliovirus outbreak response campaigns are advised to postpone these campaigns until 1 June 2020 and then reevaluate based on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic. We take this decision with deep regret, knowing more children may be paralyzed by Polio as a result. Nonetheless, GPEI believes it is the correct decision, given the imperative to save lives in the current emergency and not contribute to the further spread of COVID-19.

Vaccine Derived Polio Cases - 93 Vaccine Derived Polio Cases reported in 2020: Angola - 2 (129 in 2019), Benin - 2 (8 in 2019), Burkina Faso - 2 (1 in 2019), Cameroon - 3 (0 in 2019), CAR - 1 (21 in 2019), Chad 20 ((9 in 2019), China - 0 (1 In 2019), Cote d' Ivoire 1 (0 in 2019), DRC - 4 (86 in 2019), Ethiopia - 22 (11 in 2019), Ghana - 8 (18 in 2019), Malaysia - 1 (3 in 2019), Myanmar - 0 (6 in 2019), Niger - 0 (1 in 2019), Nigeria - 1 (18 in 2019), Pakistan - 40 (22 in 2019), Papua New Guinea - 0 (0 in 2019). Philippines - 1 (16 in 2019), Somalia - 0 (3 in 2019), Togo - 6 (8 in 2019), Zambia - 0 (2 in 2019), 361 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 2019.

Quote of the Day - "You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose." - Indira Gandhi

The Final Three Polio Endemic Countries:

• Pakistan - Two new Polio cases reported this week. Forty-One Polio cases reported in 2020. The most recent cases were from the Balochistan & Sindh Provinces with an onset of paralysis on 03/16/20. Pakistan reported 147 Wild Polio cases in 2019. Eight new Polio-Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Pakistan.
• Afghanistan - One new Polio case reported this past week. Four Polio cases reported in 2020. The most recent case was from the Nimroz Province with an onset of paralysis on 2/21/20. Afghanistan reported twenty-nine Wild Polio cases in 2019. No Polio-Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Afghanistan.

• Nigeria - No Wild Polio cases have been reported in 2017, 2018, or 2019. The most recent Polio case was reported on 8/20/16. Nigeria is to be congratulated on over Three Years without a Wild Polio case!

Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!
Terry Ziegler, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Region 26

Attachments area