Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Next year’s district governor, Ellen Young, was delighted to speak to our club about End Polio Now. Ellen expressed her extreme gratitude with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their five year match program, and she’s looking forward to the next five year match coming up. Ellen grew up in the 1950’s and she recalled when polio outbreaks were a national scare. Public pools would close down during the summer. 

Now polio is only in three countries (Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan), but many African nations are at risk and immunization campaigns continue. Rotary member donations help fund a $500 million donation from Rotary International to do polio eradication. More info can be found at www.polioeradication.org