What is the PolioPlus program?
In 1985, Rotary created PolioPlus–a program to help immunize all the world’s children against polio by 2005–Rotary’s centennial. In 1988 when the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate polio, there were an estimated 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries. By the year 2000 there were less than 3,000 cases in 20 countries. As of 15 October, 2001 there were 380 cases in 12 countries. By 2005, Rotarians worldwide will have donated more than half a billion dollars to the eradication of this terrible disease. In addition, Rotarians have contributed millions of dollars of in-kind and personal contributions. Plus, Rotary International has mobilized huge volunteer force of hundreds of thousands of people in nations worldwide for polio eradication activities.William T. Sergeant, Chairman, International PolioPlus Committee, said, “I’ve declared the polio virus evil and I’ll tell you why. It picks especially on little people. Ninety-five percent of those it attacks are under the age of fiv
