Rotary’s involvement in the eradication of polio disease on the earth has taken place in 1979, when six million children in the Philippines undertook the task of procuring and delivering polio vaccine. This was thought to be the first step in Health, Hunger, Humanity program (3-H). In the following four years the same practice was carried out for Haiti, Bolivia, Morocco, Sierra Leone and Cambodia.
At the beginning of the 1980s, Rotary began planning to spend the most ambitious program on its history. It was considered a splendid effort to introduce polio vaccination to all the world’s children. PolioPlus program is the result of effective polio vaccination. It was institutionalized in 1985, in cooperation with national and international health organizations, by taking Albert Sabin’s support and advice.
In October 1985, on the 40th anniversary of the United Nations, he announced that he had funded $ 120 million for the Rotary PolioPlus program. This beginning has mobilized organizations around the world who are interested in public health. Within three years, the Rotarians paid $ 247 million for this fund. By 2005, Rotary’s contribution to the program reached six hundred million dollars. This number is higher than countries such as the UK, Japan, and the United Nations funds.
Rotary’s role in the effort to eradicate polio disease on the earth is growing. Firstly, it is ensured that the financial resources for the vaccine are provided by the accelerator effect and that the problems encountered in distribution are solved by volunteers. Founded in Rotary, this fund provides funding and guidance for child welfare specialists of the World Health Organization.
Rotary has enabled governments to mobilize and contribute 1.5 billion dollars in public funds to the program. In 2000, it initiated a joint project with the United Nations, which led to the transfer of $ 100 million of projects collected through donations from the private sector and individuals.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a model for humanitarian aid all over the world. The manager of the World Health Organization; Gro Harlem Brundtland declared that Rotary was the first community to have a vision of “a polio free world” and that this dream was going to happen.