The Success Story of Polio Erdication in India
Dear DG Ananth, First lady Girija, Smt Rajashree Ji Birla, PRID Pandu Setty,Members of College of Governors, Rotarians, Rotary Anns, Ladies and Gentlemen.
My gratitude to DG Ananth for inviting me and requesting me to bring Smt Rajashree Ji Birla .She was kind enough to accept my request to come and that’s how I am amongst you all . I am delighted to be here and have the fellowship of Rotarians in R I District 3190 which I consider as one of the best District in the country.
Polio eradication is Rotary’s number 1 priority. It will remain so till polio virus shows its back to our planet.
As you all know in 1985, over a Million Rotarians took a pledge to eradicate polio from the face of this earth. An appeal was made to Rotarians to raise fund for the cause. A goal was set to raise US $ 120 million. Rotary International and TRF hierarchy must be worried whether we could raise this amount of money for a single program of The Foundation . Because never before was , that kind of money raised for the entire TRF. But the Generosity, sincerity, commitment and dedication of Rotarians resulted in us collecting over US $ 247 million. With more than the expected amount in the kitty, the leadership of Rotary and TRF must be sure of the completion of the job at ease .
We started working for Polio in 1988 and that time around 350000 cases world over used to occur every year, .Out of that around 60% were from India and majority of the cases were from Uttar Pradesh.
It means that everyday India had around 600 cases of Polio. As against that, as your District Governor informed you, last year we had only 35 cases , from 3 countries. In the last 4 weeks we have not had a single case.
The journey has been very very difficult. There were many stumbling blocks in our way, particularly in India. But, we did not lose our patience, we did not get discouraged and the senior Rotary leadership in the country went on converting every stumbling block into a stepping stone to see that polio gets eradicated from India. Many measures were taken to get rid of Polio from the country .
To make a mention of few ….
We printed Millions of comic books on Polio to disseminate information about Polio. They were distributed in schools all over the country. They were printed in English and in most of the languages spoken in our country so that if the children read the comics they could persuade their parents to take the children till 5 years to get the polio drops .
We used audio visuals, local radio stations, films, slide shows to promote the cause and made people know as to why they should give polio drops to their children,
During every NID or Sub NID, we involved the communities, schools, colleges and universities in this programme.
We involved the celebrities to support us. Hundreds and thousands of workshops and seminars were organized for Rotarians and non-Rotarians to spread the message of polio eradication all over the country.
The rallies were taken out on the streets with various slogans in support of the cause. The largest banner was displayed with Slogans of Polio in the city of Mumbai that made us enter the guinnes book of world record .
We organised Polio Summits in Mumbai and Delhi .
On a regular basis we had meetings with our partners and try to work out different strategies to get victory over the virus.
But our experience revealed that if in one particular year we could see 100 cases , the very next year it would rise to 1100 cases.
It was very difficult to understand what happened and what we had to do?
In the year 2006 we had only around 66 cases and we celebrated at The Polio plus committee as we felt almost we have won the battle. At that time we did not know that ‘Almost’ was a very difficult word in the dictionary. Napoleon almost won the waterloo war; PT Usha almost won the Gold medal, two days back England had almost won the cricket match against India.
And so it happened with us very next year when we had 700 odd cases. Immediately thereafter 1600 cases with 1200 coming from Uttar Pradesh.
We appointed and recognized hundreds and thousands of health workers to support us. Wherever there were gaps in the government machinery, we tried to fill it up so that the program would be effective.
In 2006 I got elected as Director, Rotary international .Even though I was involved in the INPCC for about 10 years, I had responsibility to see that we are able to get rid of Polio Virus. But Directorship added some authority. Soon after getting elected in 2006, I asked the chairman of INPPC PDG Deepak kapoor whether we could have a meeting with the Ulemas of Uttar Pradesh.
It was not very difficult as we had done it several times in the past. In fact we had involved the vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. But these initiatives were not working as we all desired.
On 5th July 2006 we had a meeting with some of the Ulemas of Uttar Pradesh at Samarat Hotel New Delhi. I was the only speaker there. Approximately 100 ulemas were present and from our side PRID late O.P.Vaish,the then chairman IPPC Bob Scot ,PDG Deepak kapoor and some of the members of INPPC were present.
As it is said –If you are sincere and committed, even the GOD above will help you and that happened. When I started with “Bismillah Ur rehman Ur raheem………… ´well friends , it was as if we had won the battle. Pin drop silence. This Aiyat from Quran is most effective and they also knew it, Without a piece of paper, when I recited this Aiyat they felt that I belonged to them.
Many times PRIP Kalyan Da has said that Rotary has given one Rotarian to the Muslim community and that Rotarian is Me .
Yes friends, the resistance from this community was unimaginable. I still remember the days , when a few of us Rotarians in Moradabad went to a particular village and house to give polio drops. We saw the lady of the house was trying to hide the children under a cot and she told us that the children had gone to their maternal grandparents house, even as we could see them. We made her know that the children were very much there .But friends , Her husband had warned her against giving the drops to the children. If drops were given, it would end their marriage, can you imagine that kind of resistance. Many a times the local people in Muslim areas threw stones on Rotarians when they went to administer polio drops to the children.
To counter this we dropped pamphlets or hand bills in Urdu from an IAF helicopter given to us, in pockets of Muslim community so that reading the pamphlet can dispel ignorance .
This had no effect, the root cause was that they did not want to immunize children because of illiteracy and various Rummers spread . Put yourself in their shoes. Their illiteracy and rummers , unfortunately, prevented them from getting vaccinated.
As I said,. When I was accepted by them it is they suggested us to form a committee of all the ulemas in Uttar Pradesh. We accepted their suggestion, made many trips to Lucknow to ensure that the top Ulemas from every sub section of the community were in the core committee., We had an educationist and a Doctor. On NID’s we made these Ulemas administer the polio drops to their own children in camera. That was telecast all over Uttar Pradesh. So the message went around that Polio drops were safe. We saw the results.
Till 2006 the ratio of polio cases in Muslim vs other communities was 70:30.Just in a year the ratio got reversed. This indicated us that perhaps we were in the right path. Such committees were formed in all districts of U P .Practically every week we used to be in high risk areas of U P to spread the message.
Then came Malegaon. With 4 P1 cases ( most dangerous ) in 4 weeks. Then we had an IEAG ( India Experts Advisory group ) in Delhi where experts from all over the world discussed and advised the government the implementation strategy , which was duly followed. PRIP Raja Ji , PDG Deepak Kapur and myself were representing Rotary. And we saw the health secretary Government of Maharashtra raising his hands with helplessness about the resistance in Malegaon. Malegaon’s population is around 400,000.The Muslim Community which is little over half was not accepting Polio drops. In the meeting PRIP Raja Saboo took on the responsibility of Immunizing entire Malegaon. Rtn Rajeev Pradhan and Myself were stationed in Malegaon for 5 days. We had meeting with Doctors , chemists, ulemas , Urdu media and the community. We convinced these skeptics.
With great efforts of Rotary , the Government, our Partners, Health workers and many others we could get rid of Polio in India. And for the last six years we have not witnessed a single Polio Case.
Now, why this meeting ?
Rotary International has spent over US $ 1.5 billion for this cause. When we started our goal was 120 million.
Only in India Rotary has spent over US $ 200 million. Even today there is a funding gap of over 600 million. It is Rotary’s responsibility to fill this funding gap.
Even today there is a challenge with Bill and Melinda Gates foundation who will give 70 million U S Dollars if Rotary raises US $ 35 .
Thanks to this generous Lady Smt Rajashree Ji Birla, who singlehandedly has given much more than all Rotarians in India have given to Polio. Not just money. She helps to run polio booths on Sundays in tourist spots in Mumbai. Every child immunized gets a gift worth Rs 20.
Funds are needed. TRF has spent more than US $ 200 million on us .Now it is our duty to give .
Rotary accepted this program not only to make India Polio free but the whole world. Still there are three countries where Polio virus is in circulation.
Nazar Nazar Mein Utarna Kamaal Hota Hai,
Nafas Nafas Mein Bikharna Kamaal Hota Hai,
Bulandiyon Pe Pahuchna Koi Kamaal Nahi,
Bulandiyon Pe Teharna Kamaal Hota Hai.
In short to achieve something great is indeed difficult but to stay there is more difficult.
India has become polio free
It has to remain polio free.
Every NID and sub NID every child has to get the drops. Raising funds is our important responsibility. There are many pockets where there is no immunization. Please cover it. We should continue and keep working .Let us not be complacent.
We have to promote Routine Immunization. We have to educate people to accept IPV .
TRF started the programme to make not just India polio free but the world polio free. With 3 countries still not polio free the job remains to be done.
Funds are needed. By and large, funds have come through Rotarians and their contacts. We are fortunate to have Aditya Birla group in this country.I am sure you have contacts with many who can give. Please do your best. Unless you speak you will not get it. Friends remember –Polio anywhere is polio every where.
I am delighted to see such a crowd today because even at the peak of polio program in India there was not such a crowd.
I compliment the District Governor and the leadership of R I D 3190 for this.
The commissioner of Malegaon, once said that if Rotary was not involved in this programme the government would have stopped it long back.Thats the reputation and credentials of our organization , make use of it .
You are all here because to hear Smt Rajashree Ji,and I am sure listening to her you all will get motivated and will come forward to exhibit your generosity.
Thank you district governor for inviting me and Smt Rajashree Ji Birla and I look forward to Karnataka remaining Polio free once and for all.
21 January 2017