In 1985, Rotary International launched the PolioPlus program to protect children worldwide from the cruel and fatal consequences of polio.
Yesterday, the Rotary Club of Oxford learned first-hand the tremendous efforts fellow Rotarians have made in wiping out the disease.
Royal Oak resident and past District Governor Don Chisholm spoke to Oxford Rotarians of his trip last November to Africa with 36 other Rotarians from around the country. They, along with Rotarians from around the world, successfully immunized around 80 million children against polio on this trip alone.
Chisholm’s group spent their time in the West African country of Mali, just north of the Ivory Coast, while other Rotarians targeted 21 other African nations.
Through the PolioPlus program, Chisholm said more than 2 billion children have been immunized since 1985 and has taken over $600 million dollars to fund.
‘Our foundation’s purpose is to eliminate poverty, environmental conservation, food security, health care and education, mediation and conflict resolution and world peace and understanding being the bottom line,? he said.
Upon arrival to Mali, Chisholm said they wasted no time getting plans together for how to immunize the area. They were the first group of volunteers to participate in a string of national immunization days.
Chisholm’s group, with the help of very organized village health workers, succesfully immunized 448,000 children under the age of five in a town of 1.5 million.
‘I don’t think there was a kid immunized that would’ve been immunized had we not shown up,? he said. ‘We’re here to let them know how great a job they’re doing and we’re there to let them know the world knows how great a job they’re doing.?
Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and sometimes death. The polio epidemic, which began in 2003 due to a brief suspension of the immunization activities in Nigeria, is steadily declining.
In 2004, Mali reported 19 cases after having been free of polio for four years. Only three cases have been reported in the country as of 2005.
Chisholm said although Mali’s average income is $325 per year and 90 percent practice the Muslim religion, they were very appreciative of the Rotarian efforts and were ‘gracious? and ‘hospitable.?
Through triple digit temperatures, cow and goat strewn streets and open sewers across from residencies, Chisholm and his group went door to door offering the immunization.
The vaccine bottles, which contained oral drops, were kept in freezers in the local villages. The temperature of the bottle could not exceed 55 degrees otherwise it was useless.
When some residents refused to take the vaccine, Chisholm said ‘it was like a scene from COPS? when authorities had to get involved.
They even made trips to the marketplace to immunize children while they were shopping with their parents. ‘It really is touching to see these little kids being brought to people for these drugs and to be the one to do it,? Chisholm said.
In addition to the polio vaccine, each team member brought a container filled with a food additive called Power Flour, which is used to provide nourishment to children in famine stricken areas.