Polio Eradication Fundraising Campaign Information

Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio

In 1985, Rotary launched PolioPlus, one of the most ambitious humanitarian programs ever undertaken by a private-sector organization. PolioPlus was the catalyst for the World Health Assembly's resolution in 1988 to eradicate polio. Today, thanks to Rotary's US$500 million commitment and its leadership in mobilizing volunteers, the world is on the threshold of eradicating the poliovirus.

Great progress has been made. Fewer than 10 countries still have polio. The number of cases worldwide has decreased 99 percent since 1985. The greatest obstacle to victory is adequate funding. A $275 million shortfall must be overcome in the period 2002-05.

For this reason, the RI Board of Directors and the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation have unanimously decided to launch a one-year campaign to help fill the funding gap. The campaign seeks $80 million in cash and pledges during the period 1 July 2002 through 30 June 2003. (Pledges may be paid over a three-year period.)

The money is needed for vaccine and its delivery through National Immunization Days, and surveillance systems needed to identify remaining pockets of the disease.

To help publicize the campaign, Rotarians are invited to download a presentation and accompanying script. The presentation is available as a PowerPoint file (14.3 MB) or as a .pdf file (1.2 MB). The script (93 KB) is a .pdf file. Frequently Asked Questions (218 KB) about the campaign and the monthly Polio Eradication Fundraising Campaign newsletter (107 K) also are available for download as .pdf files.

Children in Myanmar participate in a polio National Immunization Day launching ceremony.

PolioPlus is one of Rotary's most successful international programs. The program, which is explained in this website is sponsored by Rotary International, got its start in 1979 with an experimental program in the Philippines to help deliver polio vaccine to six million children. It worked so well that Rotary, through the Health, Hunger, and Humanity Program, started similar efforts in Haiti, Bolivia, Morocco, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia. 

But the PolioPlus program as we know it was launched in 1985, when Rotary International pledged $120 million to eradicate polio worldwide. The amount promised was stunning because Rotary had never worked with numbers that large before. Each club was given a goal and, within a short time, it became apparent that there was so much support for the program that the goal could be doubled. By 2005, RI will have raised more than $500 million for PolioPlus.

Rotary International has worked with the World Health Organization, the U.N. Children's Fund, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to achieve a 99 percent reduction in the number of polio cases worldwide. The goal is to completely eradicate polio in 2005, the centennial of Rotary. The graph below shows the extent of financial aid that has been provided by Rotary International. (Graph provided by Rotary International)

The South Tyler Rotary Club has carried out several international projects for PolioPlus. The major problem facing PolioPlus now is funding. In 2002 Rotary International announced a polio eradication fundraising campaign to raise $80 million to help close the funding gap, estimated at $275 million by the World Health Organization.