Meet the moment

There are moments in our journey to end polio when doubt and uncertainty may take hold, yet we must remain steadfast and, above all, hopeful as we keep our eyes on the goal. As Winston Churchill once said in a moment of crisis: “We cannot afford — we have no right — to look back. We must look forward.”

In Rotary, we always rise to meet the moment. No challenge is too great. In 1988, when we partnered with the World Health Organisation to form the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, an estimated 350,000 polio cases occurred annually across 125 countries. Since then, the GPEI — which also includes UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Gates Foundation, and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance — has worked tirelessly with governments worldwide. Together, we have reduced wild poliovirus cases by 99.9 per cent.

The journey has not been without challenges. Today in Afghanistan, vaccinators are prohibited from conducting house-to-house immunisation campaigns, while in Pakistan, conflict, terrorism and migration hinder access to children in certain regions.

Earlier this year, the United States announced its intention to withdraw from the WHO, froze USAID funding, and restricted interactions with the CDC. These developments present obstacles for our polio eradication efforts and other Rotary global partnerships and programmes.

Yet we rise to meet the moment, just as we have done before. We did so in India when we faced spikes in cases before the country was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2014. In Nigeria, we also encountered obstacles, but in 2020, the WHO certified the country — and by extension, all 47 countries in the WHO Africa region — wild polio-free.

We are meeting the moment once again in 2025. Know that Rotary is working behind the scenes, collaborating with governments, international agencies and partners to address challenges, manage disruptions and explore alternative funding. As a nonpolitical organisation, we remain focused on operational solutions while serving communities and protecting public health.

My wife, Gay, and I have witnessed firsthand the urgent need of the moment in India, Nigeria and Pakistan, where we administered vaccines to children. Looking into their eyes, I saw the future we are fighting for — and the responsibility we carry to finish the job.

The winds of change may shift, but with your help, Rotary’s commitment to eradicating polio will stand strong until our mission is complete.

Mark Daniel Maloney
TRF Trustee Chair