Madam, – In an article in your edition of January 23rd under the heading “Gates Foundation donates $255 million to help eradicate polio”, Mary Engel refers to the work of the Rotary movement in this regard. The accurate position of Rotary’s involvement in the eradication of polio from the world is as follows.
Rotary International, with the support of 32,000 clubs and its 1.25 million members worldwide has been working with the WHO, the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Unicef since 1985 to try finally to eradicate polio from the world. During that time it has raised from its own efforts $1.2 billion for this purpose. Rotary has provided funds, volunteers, advocates, transport, food, accommodation and logistical support to enable the WHO and Unicef to carry out this vital work.
It was the example of Rotary that encouraged the Gates Foundation to contribute $255 m and to challenge Rotary to match it. As Bill Gates himself has said: “Rotary, in particular, has inspired my own personal commitment to get deeply involved in achieving eradication”. We are currently working to raise this amount and vindicate his faith in us. – Yours, etc,