End Polio Now
Rotarian Terry Engelken gave an update program on Rotary International's End Polio Now campaign. There are several key points about polio today:
- Polio mainly affects children under age 5
- There is no cure for polio, but it is preventable with a vaccine
- Only three countries remain endemic - Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria
- Cases of polio have been reduced worldwide by 99.9% since 1988
- Until we end polio forever, every child is at risk
In 1988, 350,000 polio cases were found in 125 countries around the world, including in North America. This was three years after Rotary International established PolioPlus with a fundraising target of $120 million to battle the disease.
By 2012, polio had been reduced to being endemic in just three countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria. In part that is because in 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $350 million, and challenged Rotary to raise another $200 million for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Here is a 2:41 minute video highlighting our final push to finally eradicate polio to zero cases worldwide.
Rotary International, and Rotary club members like us, are making an amazing difference around the world. Together, we are making the world a better place.
Bontrager talks UI Replay Booth
Thanks to Rotarian Jim Mostek for inviting Kalona Rotarian Dan Bontrager to speak about his work as a high school football referee through the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and as a Big 10 Replay Official for the UI Hawkeye football program.
In Dan's day job, he is a CPA and owns Bontrager Tax, Accounting, and Consulting LLC in Kalona.
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| Kalona's Dan Bontrager |
Upcoming Events
November 9: Bob Kennedy - Veteran's Day program
November 16: 11:15am Club Board Meeting
November 16: Ray Poe - RI Foundation
November 23: No Club meeting - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
November 30: Ann Harris - Workplace Learning Connection's Judy Marshall
