Points covered.
Rotary India’s role in eradicating Polio
1. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative – a partnership between WHO, UNICEF, CDC and Rotary International – was launched to eradicate polio from the world, and at the same time strengthen health infrastructure. The Initiative has achieved significant progress toward both these goals. Polio is now gone from the Americas and Western Pacific region and showing no trace in Europe. There has been a dramatic decline in cases everywhere in the twenty nine years since the target was set in 1988.
2. Rotary International, a voluntary organization comprising 1.2 million members working over 35,709 Rotary clubs across 220 countries, is fairly well known for its commitment for undertaking different humanitarian programmes that address today’s challenging issues, polio eradication being one of them. The dream of achieving a world free of polio is perhaps one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by Rotary.
3. Rotary International is the spearheading member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and is the largest private sector donor. Till date Rotary has contributed US$ nearly US $ 1.6 billion (Rs. 8800 crores @55)worldwide. In India alone Rotary’s contribution stands at US $ 198 million(Rs. 1089 crore).
4. These funds are provided to UNICEF and WHO for Polio eradication activities. In addition, tens of thousands of Rotarians have partnered with various Governments, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with health providers at the grassroots level in thousands of communities.
5. Its volunteers throughout the world have helped organize national immunization days, staffed health stations and given drops to children. In addition to their own record-breaking financial contribution for polio eradication besides countless volunteer man-hours, Rotarians have helped leverage a further US $ 6.7 billion from the governments the world over for this cause.
6. India has more than 1.46 lakh members through around 3687 Rotary clubs dedicated to ending Polio in the country.
7. In India since the campaign was launched the disease incidence has reduced to ‘Zero ‘at present.
8. Indian Rotarians are also contributing to the program by donating large funds and in kind support. During every NID /SNID Indians Rotarians are seen volunteering by manning Polio booths and administering Polio drops to children.
9. So far in India Rotary’s India National PolioPlus Committee (INPPC) has actively been involved in Social Mobilization, media management, and political, bureaucratic and religious advocacy to make Polio immunization widely acceptable. Successfully gaining access to children who have never been reached before is an integral component of Rotary PolioPlus commitment.
10. Consequent to the sustained advocacy efforts of Rotary’s India National PolioPlus Committee, and the central government’s leadership, India implemented supplementary immunization activity as National Immunization Days in 1995. Followed by regular two annual NIDs, and few Sub-NIDs wherever required.
11. INPPC has garnered political support for the program by involving the President, the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Health Ministers and local politicians in the program.
12. Rotary also enlisted bureaucratic support by involving the Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary, District Magistrates and other health officials in the polio campaign.
13. Rotary approached senior minority leaders such as the Shahi Imam of JamaMasjid and the President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board and was successful in enlisting their support. Further INPPC formed a Rotary Muslim Ulema Committee in the state of U.P, comprising of senior Muslim scholars and religious leaders to address issues of resistance amongst Muslim population and appeal to Muslim parents to immunize children against Polio.
14. Today this Ulema Committee that Rotary helped set up in the State is a vital resource that the U.P. Govt. and other social organizations seek intervention from time to time for their ongoing programs to bring about an overall improvement in the social-economic life of the minority community.
15. INPPC’s Polio Corrective Surgery and Rehabilitation Camps for the polio-affected children is one of the finest examples of its commitment towards polio eradication and the overall welfare of the children. So far nearly 7000 polio-inflicted children have been operated upon and rehabilitated through 82 camps held in different endemic states of the country. Similarly free health camps are being organized by Rotary in different districts to cater to the urgent health needs of the people including Polio immunization.
16. Apart from advocacy efforts, Rotary also makes extensive use of various IEC materials, such as comic books, video vans, banners and posters, etc, to publicize the cause of polio eradication. To keep the importance of Polio immunization alive in media and general, Rotary has organized different events involving celebrities from the sports and entertainment world and also hosted media briefings to promote the polio eradication program.
17. Humanitarian organizations world over are partnering with Rotary International in their biggest humanitarian initiative to rid the world of Polio. In a major boost to the eradication campaign, the Gates Foundationcontributed a whopping US $ 355 million. Rotary International accepted to raise US $ 200 million against the Gates Foundation grant by June 2012.Rotary help raise the matching grant exceeding the challenge. Going forward, the Gates Foundation will match two-to-one, up to US$35 million per year, every dollar Rotary commits to reduce the funding shortfall for polio eradication through 2020.
18. Google.org, inspired by Rotary’s efforts donated a sum of US $ 3.5 million to the Polio eradication effort worldwide to Rotary Foundation. In India The Aditya Birla Group with its patron Smt. Rajashree Birla who is a honorary member of Rotary Club Mumbai has contributed US $ 10 million. Ms. UshaMittal (of Arcellor Mittal Group) has donated to Rotary a total contribution of USD 1.5 million towards Polio eradication fund. And Rtn. HarshadMehta, Chairman of Rosy Blue Diamond has contributed more than US $ 3.5 million.
19. In January 2014, India completed three years without a case of Polio and along with 10 SEAR countries was awarded the Southeast Asia Regional Polio-free certification by WHO on 27 March 2014.
20. Rotary has supplied IEC material to Govt. of India to improve upon the Routine Immunization level.
India National PolioPlus Committee’s Communication/Social Mobilisation Strategy
Political Advocacy at national, state, revenue district and block levels.
Formation of Muslim Ulema Committee in U.P. comprising of senior Muslim scholars (including a doctor from Aligarh Muslim University Medical College) and religious leaders to address issues of resistance amongst Muslim population and appeal Muslim parents to immunize their children against Polio. Trustee TRF & Member IPPC Ashok Mahajan is the Chairman of this Committee.
Dissemination of information & distribution of Information Education and Communication material.
Use of Audio-Visual Medium; local Radio channels, local cable network, films, slide shows, playing of audio cassettes.
Use of Traditional Media including street theatre (nukkad natak), puppet shows and other traditional media.
Encouraging community participation to encourage community leaders and medical practitioners to take action.
Involving local Schools, Colleges and Universities, other Educational Institutions, Women’s Organisations and Corporate Sector participation.
Involving religious leaders and opinion makers.
Organising events such as, film screening, plays and seminars on polio.
Involving celebrities in the Polio eradication cause .
Regular media participation and coverage for a positive impact.
Workshop activities/seminars to bring new advocates on board.
Recognising health officials for outstanding performance.
Forming committee of underserved community members to address their issues.
Strategies successfully employed by the India National PolioPlus Committee in the past:
Launching an IEC blitzkrieg on a massive scale on each NID/SNID including distribution of banners, posters, leaflets, sunshades, T-shirts, face masks, whistles, slides, hoardings, vertical boards, audio cassettes, Pencilet al.
Special initiatives in U.P. – Interpersonal Communication through Village Volunteers Network.
Air-dropping of IEC material from helicopters.
Involving celebrities from the entertainment world along with Indian Cricket/ Tennis Stars.
INPPC has been instrumental in involving Indian and Pakistani cricketers for the cause.
Media Campaign involving Bollywood celebrities, their messages on polio were aired on TV channels across the country.
Conducting Media Workshop in the endemic districts of U.P.
Extensive Print Media Campaign.
Advocacy with Foreign Ambassadors.
Rotary Polio Sena Mobilising school children.
Rotary Polio Sa-re-gama weekly program on FM Delhi.
Broadcast of spots on All India Radio in UP with polio messages of Muslim scholars, parents of polio victims and Bollywood celebrities.
Rotary Road shows – Rotary Polio Video vans showing films on Polio.
Rotary rallies and organizing childrens’ marches prior to NIDs/SNIDs to create awareness.
Involving Educational Institutions like Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Hamdard University and Jamia Millia Islamia University.
Conducted Polio Corrective Surgery & Rehabilitation Camps in endemic areas of UP, Bihar, Uttaranchal & West Bengal.
Involving religious leaders like Imams, Ulemas, Priests, Saints anIdathers.
Popularising Pulse Polio Campaign in Shopping Plazas/malls in metro cities.
Distribution of Comic Books on polio and sanitation in Hindi language in schools of U.P.
Distribution of Teachers’ booklets on polio.
Involving Corporate Sector participation.
Incentive to health workers to overcome fatigue were provided in the state of U.P. and Bihar – Towel, Umbrella, Lunch Boxes, Torches etc.
Garden Umbrellas were provided in Delhi, U.P. & Maharashtra during summer to health workers.
An emergent support of Marker Pen in Bihar and vaccine carrier in Bihar, Delhi & Maharashtra were provided.
Produced a cartoon film for the community on polio awareness.
Support to NGOs to cover the population at construction sites.
Aprons were provided to the transit team health workers as identification mark.
Involved Vice Chancellor of various Universities for effective Social Mobilisation and overcoming doubts.
Display of gigantic hot air balloons.
Display of banners / vertical boards at all the retail outlets of HPCL/ BPCL/IOC in the NCR region and UP.
Muppet shows (Polio Inflatables) in various districts of the endemic States.
Forming State & District level Council of Muslim Ulemas & Scholars to address issues of the Muslim population.
Organising events like ‘Empathy —2004’ to sensitise the masses.
Recognising the political & religious leaders, bureaucrats & health officials.
Setting up booths on boats in the holy Kumbh meta to immunise children.
Organizing medical health camps in the state of Delhi, U.P and Bihar.
Production of IEC material on Zinc and ORS.
Elocution competition for Schools all over the Country to create aware-ness among students.
Stole & Flag on ‘End Polio Now’ distributed.
Hosted the ‘Inactivated Polio vaccine’ National launch in November 2015.
28 October 2017