What is that Polio Picture? This picture shows the OPV being given in Africa.

Countries are now gearing up to kick all forms of polio out of Africa, once and for all!  To rapidly and sustainably stop outbreaks of all circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), a modified vaccine, known as novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) is now in the process of being rolled out.

Have you seen this? Rotary Foundation receives highest rating from Charity Navigator for 13th consecutive year

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March is Water & Sanitation Month for Rotary International.  Please support a (WASH) project this month!

A Win Against Polio is a Win for Global Health!

How Many Children have we saved from the paralysis of Polio?
That number has now reached 20 Million! That’s a number to celebrate and to share!

2021 Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Cases – 30 – Afghanistan – 18 (305 in 2020), Angola – 0 (3 in 2020),Benin – 0 (3 in 2020), Burkina Faso – 0 (59 in 2020), Cameroon – 0 (7 in 2020), CAR – 0 (4 in 2020), Chad – 0 (99 in 2020), Congo – 0 (2 in 2020), Cote d’ Ivoire – 0 (72 in 2020), DRC – 0 (81 in 2020), Ethiopia – 0 (26 in 2020), Ghana – 0 (11 in 2020), Guinea – 0 (45 in 2020), Mali – 0 (43 in 2020), Malaysia – 0 (1 in 2020),  Niger – 0 (8 in 2020), Nigeria – 3 (8 in 2020), Pakistan – 6 (135 in 2020), Philippines – 0 (1 in 2020), Sierra Leone – 0 (8 in 2020), Somalia – 0 (13 in 2020), South Sudan – 0 (47 in 2020), Sudan – 0 (58 in 2020), Tajikistan – 3 (1 in 2020), Togo – 0 (9 in 2020), and Yemen – 0 (30 in 2020).

A total of 1,072 Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 26 countries in 2020.

Quote of the Day

“Working together, we have done so much to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, to care for our communities, and to seize the opportunity to be a part of perhaps the most complex task ever undertaken in history — vaccinating 7 billion people. This does not mean we will deviate in any way from our avowed commitment to eradicating polio, which remains our highest priority and will continue to be our only corporate program. On the contrary, while continuing polio vaccinations and surveillance, we can apply all our experience in fighting polio to counter COVID-19. We all have a part to play in combating the growing force of vaccine resistance and misinformation. Our advocacy in our communities will be critical — we need to spread the message about the power of vaccines to save lives. We need to work closely with governments and support them in the vaccination drive. We need to add to the more than 3,000 projects already registered on Rotary Showcase to raise awareness, deliver critical personal protective equipment, and support frontline health workers.” – K.R. Ravindran The Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair 2020-21

The Final Two Polio Endemic Countries:

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. One WPV1 & CVDPV2-Positive Environmental Sample was reported this week in Afghanistan.

Our Goal is Global Polio Eradication!!

Terry Ziegler, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Region 36