Polio Eradication Newsletter February 2003

"FULFILLING OUR PROMISE: ERADICATE POLIO"

"We are so close to beating this crippling disease in Africa and worldwide, but we are not there yet. We have to stay focused and committed, and encourage support from all corners - from endemic countries, donor countries and the health industry - so all children can be immunised"
Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF

£49,436.77 donated already!
£46,228 more promised

MANY, MANY THANKS!!!
Estimated shortfall as at 20th February around £4500

Full contributions (equivalent to £50 per head) have been received from the Rotary Clubs of:

Bakewell
Beeston
Burton on Trent
Carlton
Derby Mercia
Derby South
Eastwood
Eckington
Heanor
Kirkby in Ashfield
Long Eaton

 

 Mansfield
Nottingham
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Sunrisers
Sutton in Ashfield
Swadlincote
Trent Bridge

Partial Contributions have been received from the Rotary Clubs of:

Amber Valley
Ashbourne
Belper
Bingham and District

 

 Castle Donington
Clay Cross
Derby
Derby Daybreak
Keyworth and
Ruddington
Matlock,
Newark
Newark Castle
Nottingham North
Retford
Ripley
Stapleford and
Sandiacre
Wollaton Park
Worksop Dukeries

OTHER DONATIONS
£1086 has been received from District (mainly from the Conference raffle) and £800 has been received from a church.

WE WILL ACHIEVE OUR TARGET THROUGH YOUR EFFORTS.

I still have not heard from some clubs. If you have not let me know of the hoped for target that you will try to raise please let me know as soon as possible so that I can try to estimate what the District's final figure will be.

It will be helpful to know projected amounts from clubs so that a probable District figure can be assessed. This will help in deciding whether any other District events are needed.

PLEASE SEND IN FUNDS ASAP
Please do not wait until you have achieved your club target before sending money to "RF UK Ltd. - Polio Eradication" at RIBI, Kinwarton Road, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6PB but send it in installments when you have a reasonable amount.
This will ensure that enough funds are received in the USA to achieve:
1. The Matching Funding available from the Gates Foundation.
2. Interest rates are also higher in the USA so that greater return on the funds invested can be obtained.
Please let me know when you have sent funds to RIBI (either by e-mail or letter)£18,000 donated already!


INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT

  1. RI Website www.rotary.org

  2. RIBI Website at www.rotary-ribi.org

  3. WHO Polio eradication website at www.polioeradication.org

  4. www.endofpolio.org

  5. www.vaccineinformation.org

  6. District www.rotary1220.org

PEOPLE TO CONTACT

Some groups within your community that may be able to help with fund-raising are:

  • Schools,

  • Women's Institutes,

  • Scouts, cubs, guides

  • Local churches

  • Local Firms and businesses

  • A call might be worthwhile

World Polio News
1.Wild Polio virus only recorded in 7 countries in 2002!
However the total of cases in the year was over 1600 (483 in 2001) due to an outbreak of many hundred cases in Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. Two adjacent areas reported polio again last year because of this outbreak. This highlights the need to continue our efforts. More major immunisation days and supplementary Immunisation activity is planned in India next year.
There were less than ten cases in four countries - Afghanistan, Somalia, Egypt and Niger

2. "Vaccinate to Eradicate" We must keep up our efforts.

The scale of the work being done to beat polio is shown by the following figures:

1. 165 million Indian children targeted for immunisation at immunisation booths and by house to house visiting on 5th February by over 1.3.million teams of volunteers
2. 30 million immunised in Pakistan in a NID in September
3. 20 million immunised in Indonesia in September

 4. 5.9 million immunised in Afghanistan in September by a house to house programme of immunisation
5. 14 million immunised in Ethiopia in October

These figures are hard to comprehend and when factors such as difficult terrain, wars, political unrest etc. are taken into account as well we can begin to understand the difficulties of achieving our goal. This is why it is vital that we all keep up our efforts in this final phase.

3 Type II polio strain not recorded for 3 years.

A quotation from Dr. Bruce Aylward, co-ordinator of the World Health Organisations Polio Eradication initiative states:

'This tremendous initiative would never be where it is today without Rotary; and, most importantly, the ultimate success of this initiative will never be realised without the leadership, advocacy, and energy of Rotarians everywhere.'

 

FUTURE EVENTS

  1. The Rotary Club of Warsop hopes to organise a Car Treasure Hunt later in this Rotary year. Details later.

  2. Perhaps your local place of work, business or school could have a "Non Uniform Day". This can be most productive and it could be worth contacting your local school to see if it would hold such a day in the summer term.

  3. The Beeston Club will be holding a Concert at Chilwell Methodist Church on Saturday 22nd March at 7.00pm for 7.30pm. Nottingham City Transport Brass Band and the Retford Male Voice Choir will perform.

EVENTS

If you would like me to notify Clubs through the Polio newsletter of events that you are going to hold for polio eradication I would be pleased to do so.

 

PR MATERIAL AVAILABLE

  1. Polio Eradication Banners are now available on loan from your group contact 
  2. New leaflets produced by RIBI are now available from your group contact. These are rather better than those produced earlier and will be useful at events
  3. Poster and Stickers are available free from RIBI. Contact Jayne Bourne at 01789765411 for both these items. Please contact them or me if you have any problems.
  4. Video each group representative has an excellent video on "Fulfilling the Promise; Eradicate Polio". It lasts 6 minutes and if you would like to borrow it please contact your committee representative.
  5. I have a Power point presentation for loan if required
  6. I have a CD from RI with images 'photos and logos which is available on loan.

FOR TALKS AND INFORMATION CONTACT

Keith Hammond at 01332 347949.
E -mail via the contact centre or any member of the committee

POLIO ERADICATION CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE!!
Keith Hammond Derby (Chairman) Colin Brockington Bretby (South) 01283 731724
Bibek Pradhan Mansfield (North)01623 490789
Peter Clark Wirksworth (West) 01629 823059
Val Lindley Sherwood Sunrisers (East) 0115 926 6618
Brian Darlison (Hucknall) PR 0115 952 0202

MASTERCARD

A Rotary MBNA Mastercard is available Those signing up generate a £25 donation to Polio Eradication plus 0.035% on all transactions through the card. Details of the card are available from RIBI or from the RIBI Website at www.rotary-ribi.org 

DG John Bendall may soon be writing to major firms in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. If you have already written to such firms please let him know so that he does not duplicate appeals to them.

SNIPPETS FROM RI NEWSLETTER and the ROTARIAN

  1. US$18.4 million donated so far towards the campaign. Please send your contributions or instalments of contributions as soon as possible so that RI can achieve the Matching Funding available from organisations like the Gates Foundation
    RI would be pleased to know your committed figure to the polio campaign. This can be faxed to 001 847 326 4101 (or emailed to poliocampaign@rotaryintl.org)

  2. Commemorative Paul Harris Fellow certificates are available recognising the Polio Eradication campaign. Contact me for further details.

  3. United Airlines is showing a public service video on all flights in February

RIBI Magazine

Some may be concerned re the cover of the latest edition of Rotary - the RIBI magazine and the suggestion that US research could undermine the efforts to eradicate polio. Please read the article carefully. I do not believe that we should be alarmed by it. The WHO and others involved in the polio Eradication campaign are looking at the way in which we end the campaign when Polio has been eradicated. The chances of polio virus being released intentionally are remote as it has limited potential as a biological agent (low morbidity, low mortality and difficulty in dissemination).

We must not reduce our efforts in any way to continue the fight to eradicate polio. As indicated earlier in this newsletter the scale of the work necessary to eradicate the polio virus is immense. The risks of the disease spreading back if we do not succeed are there for all to see (see Uttar Pradesh). We are nearly there!

The last few laps are hard but

  • given the will,

  • given the determination to see the campaign to a successful close,

  • given the tremendous efforts and drive of Rotarians all around the world
    we will succeed.

It is the commitment of Rotarians to see the project through - to fulfil our promise to the children of the world- that will enable the world to become polio free.

We will achieve a polio free world.

Thank you for all your efforts for Polio Eradication. I know many are to hold events soon for Polio Eradication. Good luck with them all.


Final Quotation

A final Quote from Carol Bellamy, Chief Executive of UNICEF

"Rotary's presence has been vital for the PolioPlus effort.
Without Rotary, everything would have been different"

Keith Hammond
District Polio Eradication Fund raising Chairman
e-mail: via the contact centre
 
 
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