What is that Polio Picture? A Polio Warrior!
PDG Shirley Griffin, a member of the Longview, Texas, Rotary Club, traveled to India in 2012 to help administer the oral polio vaccine to children during a national immunization drive. Difficulty breathing, hospitals at capacity, social distancing and a world racing to create a vaccine conjure up memories of what life was like back in the 1950s for polio survivor Shirley Griffin.Griffin was 9 years old when she was diagnosed, along with her brother, who was 11, in 1951, four years before the first polio vaccine became available. Since the local hospitals near her home in Lufkin, Texas, were full, the siblings had to recover at home. Alcohol rubs and ice were used to treat fevers that Griffin was told reached 105 degrees.
Shirley has vowed to do all she can to bring an end to Polio in our world!
A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!
That’s something to celebrate! It’s not yet official, but TRF Trustee Chair John Germ has verbally indicated that we made our 2020-21 $50 Million PolioPlus Fundraising Goal to be matched by the full $100 Million from the Gates Foundation! On to the 2021-22 Year!
On August 4, 2021 The GPEI issued a statement on the recent UK Polio aid cuts. Here is part of the story:
GPEI statement on the UK aid cuts
As of 4 August 2021
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was deeply saddened by the UK parliament’s decision to support significant cuts to international aid, which will continue for at least five years. The cuts include a proposed 95% reduction in the contributions made to the GPEI by the UK for 2021. It is not clear whether this percentage reduction will apply in subsequent years but given the lower overall available funding, the GPEI will have to plan for significant funding cuts in the future. … read the full story
2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 204 – Afghanistan – 43 (308 in 2020), Angola – 0 (3 in 2020),Benin – 2 (3 in 2020), Burkina Faso – 1 (65 in 2020), Cameroon – 0 (7 in 2020), CAR – 0 (4 in 2020), Chad – 0 (99 in 2020), Congo – 2 (2 in 2020), Cote d’ Ivoire – 0 (61 in 2020), DRC – 10 (81 in 2020), Ethiopia – 7 (36 in 2020), Ghana – 0 (11 in 2020), Guinea – 6 (44 in 2020), Liberia – 3 (0 in 2020),Madagascar – 6 (2 in 2020), Mali – 0 (50 in 2020), Malaysia – 0 (1 in 2020), Niger – 0 (10 in 2020), Nigeria – 68 (8 in 2020), Pakistan – 8 (135 in 2020), Philippines – 0 (1 in 2020), Senegal – 13 (0 in 2020) ,Sierra Leone – 4 (10 in 2020), Somalia – 0 (13 in 2020), South Sudan – 9 (50 in 2020), Sudan – 0 (58 in 2020),Tajikistan – 23 (1 in 2020), Togo – 0 (9 in 2020), and Yemen – 3 (33 in 2020).
A total of 1,105 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.
Quote of the Day
“Nothing is written. We write it.” K. R Ravindran, Past RI President
The Final Two Polio Endemic Countries:
Pakistan
0 new Polio cases reported this week.
1 Wild Polio cases – 2021. The most recent case had an onset of paralysis on 1/27/21.
84 Wild Polio cases – 2020. One WPV1 & CVDPV2 Positive Environmental Samples was reported this week in Pakistan.
Afghanistan
0 new Polio cases reported this past week.
1 Wild Polio case – 2021. The most recent cases had an onset of paralysis on 1/1/21.
56 Wild Polio cases – 2020. No WPV1 & CVDPV2-Positive Environmental Sample were reported this week in Afghanistan.
Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!
Terry Ziegler, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Region 36
