"What? Polio? In India? It has already been eradicated."
That is the most mistaken statement of our times today. And a challenge too? Though polio has been TAKEN OFF THE LIST OF POLIO-ENDEMIC NATIONS, we have to continue to work and ensure that the next 18 months pass off peacefully, and without any case of polio in India. But there are still other three nations...Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. There is a regular migration of people from these areas and till the time polio gets eliminated from these countries, our children remain at high risk.
Last Sunday, a regional level polio meet was organised to review the strategy to combat any emergency and the way forward. The past, incoming and current District Governors from District 3070, 3080 and 3090, covering almost the entire northern region, interacted with Past Rotary International President, Rajendra K. Saboo, Rotary International Director Yash Pal Das, Chairman of the RI India National PolioPlus Committee(INPPC) PDG Deepak Kapur, and INPPC member PDG Shubh Karn Gupta, along with the north India representative of WHO Dr. Prashant Roy.
There could not have been the most crucial time than now for Rotary to get more active, engaged and responsive to the evolving situation to ensure that not only there is 100 percent coverage of under-5 years children during the NIDs and SNIDs, but also generate awareness for routine immunisation.
Later, the District Level PolioPlus Coordinators attended the meeting where the panel along with DG Manmohan Singh, District Chair PolioPlus Praveen Goyal, and WHO's representative Dr. Shivani Gupta, answered the queries of Rotarians.
Just today morning I received a call from PDG Sunilk. Zachariah who manages Rotary eFlash, about a video which is a must-see for every Rotarian. It is a highly articulate, expressive video of Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General - Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration, who is a Canadian physician and epidemiologist, who addressed a group of opinion leaders in the TED conference. (If you can't see the video, please click here to visit the blog and watch the video)
That is the most mistaken statement of our times today. And a challenge too? Though polio has been TAKEN OFF THE LIST OF POLIO-ENDEMIC NATIONS, we have to continue to work and ensure that the next 18 months pass off peacefully, and without any case of polio in India. But there are still other three nations...Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. There is a regular migration of people from these areas and till the time polio gets eliminated from these countries, our children remain at high risk.
Last Sunday, a regional level polio meet was organised to review the strategy to combat any emergency and the way forward. The past, incoming and current District Governors from District 3070, 3080 and 3090, covering almost the entire northern region, interacted with Past Rotary International President, Rajendra K. Saboo, Rotary International Director Yash Pal Das, Chairman of the RI India National PolioPlus Committee(INPPC) PDG Deepak Kapur, and INPPC member PDG Shubh Karn Gupta, along with the north India representative of WHO Dr. Prashant Roy.
There could not have been the most crucial time than now for Rotary to get more active, engaged and responsive to the evolving situation to ensure that not only there is 100 percent coverage of under-5 years children during the NIDs and SNIDs, but also generate awareness for routine immunisation.
Later, the District Level PolioPlus Coordinators attended the meeting where the panel along with DG Manmohan Singh, District Chair PolioPlus Praveen Goyal, and WHO's representative Dr. Shivani Gupta, answered the queries of Rotarians.
Just today morning I received a call from PDG Sunilk. Zachariah who manages Rotary eFlash, about a video which is a must-see for every Rotarian. It is a highly articulate, expressive video of Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General - Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration, who is a Canadian physician and epidemiologist, who addressed a group of opinion leaders in the TED conference. (If you can't see the video, please click here to visit the blog and watch the video)
