At Lincoln South Rotary Club on May 20, our presenter was Bob Taylor on Looking at Polio Through the Rearview Mirror.
Bob's message was about Rotary's work to eradicate polio - staying focused and keeping it in front of us.
Some Rotarians think of polio as a done deal. Other Rotarians as asking if we can move on to another topic. He pointed out that
•Some haven’t experienced Polio in their lives
•It’s no longer the bright new shiny thing in the Rotary world.
•Some feel we have so few cases. Can’t you call it a day?
•Polio is not making it to the top of the list of important Rotary projects
The idea of looking forward through your windshield rather than behind in the rearview mirror was what Bob challenged us to do.
He shared stories and experiences with his work in his position as a Rotary Regional Polio Plus Coordinator. There are 47 of them around the world. He said the zoom calls are challenging to schedule with all of the different time zones. But, also the languages - though most of them have some English speaking skills.
He said that those who wonder why we are still working on polio are people people that didn't see iron lungs, perhaps they have not seen people with gnarled knuckles, or who could not walk because of having polio.
He also said that we are used to get a lot of news, fast, and often only once then we never hear about it again. Our younger members are used to that fast moving world and it is harder for them to understand that we need to stay the course.
The volunteers have not reached all parts of the world yet. There are parts of Nigeria, for example, that are heavily controlled by gangs and it is hard for volunteers to reach the citizens.
Bob talked about the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) which is made of global members:
•WHO -- World Health Organization
•CDC -- Centers for Disease Control
•GAVI – The Vaccine Alliance
•UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund
•THE GATES Foundation
•Rotary International (YOU!)
He reminded us that our contract with The Gates Foundation is for $50 million per year. If we put in $50 million, the Gates Foundation will put $150 million.
The GPEI has one goal - to eradicate polio. Bob mentioned that they were consulted when it came to distributing the COVID vaccine. Because of the success of the polio eradication efforts, the world's health communities knew that the GPEI would provide good guidance - and they did.
Bob also introduce the Polio Plus Society - anyone who contributes $100 per year to Polio Plus will be named a Polio Plus Society Member.
He encouraged all of use to keep our view of the future - for a polio free world - free of obstructions. Keep it in front of us, and not look at it through the rearview mirror.
DeEtta presented a visiting Rotary Banner to Bob who is a member of the Alma Nebraska Rotary Club.
BIO
Bob Taylor is a Region 36 End Polio Now Coordinator. Having been a Polio survivor, with complete left-side paralysis, he has contributed to advancing Rotary’s Polio effort since joining Rotary in 2015.
In this role, Bob is tasked with cascading the Foundation Trustees Polio Plus strategy to the Zones, Districts, and membership. He also is a resource to districts to find ways to broaden the Polio message to Rotarians and beyond.
Bob was instrumental in developing a focus on the Polio Plus Society (PPS) in Region 36. PPS provides the Region with individual recognition for polio donations and gives the region an additional financial buffer to aid the fulfillment of the Gates Foundation contract.
He has spoken around the world and twice to the Kiev Rotary Club. This experience has heightened his feelings for the Kiev membership and the situation they face. Currently, Bob is speaking about “Viewing Polio Through The Rearview Mirror.”
Bob was instrumental in developing a focus on the Polio Plus Society (PPS) in Region 36. PPS provides the Region with individual recognition for polio donations and gives the region an additional financial buffer to aid the fulfillment of the Gates Foundation contract.
He has spoken around the world and twice to the Kiev Rotary Club. This experience has heightened his feelings for the Kiev membership and the situation they face. Currently, Bob is speaking about “Viewing Polio Through The Rearview Mirror.”