COMMUNICATING THE NEED TO END POLIO NOW
Educate yourself about this important issue and share the knowledge with your
networks. By using your voice, you can help us get one step closer to a polio-free world.
Make Local News
 Spread the word to your local newspaper and television programs, particularly
special health and philanthropy segments.
 Write a letter to the editor (templates are available at endpolio.org)
 Comment after a relevant online story is published.
Share Your Voice
 Share your support for polio eradication with your network, using photos, video,
infographics, and advertisements.
 Visit endpolionow.org for updates
 Share the news with your friends through social media.
Use Key Messages to Tell the Story
Rotary’s Role
 As the volunteer arm of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, polio eradication is
Rotary’s top philanthropic goal. We were the catalyst to the effort.
 Rotary’s chief role is fundraising, advocacy, awareness raising and mobilizing
volunteers.
 Rotary’s involvement started with a successful pilot project to immunize children in
the Philippines in 1979.
 Since 1985, polio eradication has been Rotary’s flagship project, with members
donating time and money to help immunize more than 2 billion children in 122
countries.
 In addition to fundraising and advocacy efforts, many Rotary members join health
workers in polio-affected countries to immunize children against polio.
 Rotary members around the world advocate to ensure governments, the private
sector and the general public are aware of the historic opportunity to eradicate polio
and encourage them provide the necessary financial and political support.
 Through the “End Polio Now: Make History Today” campaign, every dollar Rotary
contributes to polio eradication (up to US$35 million/year through 2018) will be
matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
 Rotary has contributed more than US$1.3 billion dollars and committed countless
volunteer hours to fight the disease.
The Pathway to Eradication
 Rotary and its partners are on-track to achieve a polio-free world by 2018. We
are making progress along a multi-year plan to stop transmission.
 In early 2014, we celebrated one of the world’s greatest achievements in global
health: India being certified as polio-free. India was once considered the hardest
place on earth to stop polio. Now, India’s success proves polio can be stopped in
even the most challenging conditions.

Since the global initiative began more than 25 years, Rotary and its partners
have reduced polio cases by 99 percent worldwide.
 When the initiative started in 1988, more than 350,000 people were stricken by polio
every year - nearly 1,000 new polio cases every day.
 More than half of 2013 polio cases were due to polio outbreaks in parts of Africa and
the Middle East.
 These outbreaks link directly back to virus from the three remaining endemic
countries. Until the virus is stopped in the endemic countries, outbreaks will
occur, and children everywhere remain at risk.
 Support from local leaders in polio-endemic countries is critical to end polio by 2018.
 All countries must continue to maintain high routine immunization coverage.
Why Polio
 Polio will be only the second human disease ever eradicated (after smallpox).
 No child anywhere in the world will have to suffer from a disease which has no cure,
but is completely preventable.
 Ending polio is proof that all children can be protected from vaccine-preventable
diseases.
 Polio efforts are reaching previously inaccessible children, which opens the door to
them benefiting from other global health and development resources.
 The infrastructure created by the polio program – from the vast surveillance and
laboratory networks, to the hundreds of thousands of local health workers – are
already being used to address other health challenges and diseases.
Call to Action
 Share your voice by raising awareness that we are “This Close” to ending polio.
 Encourage your government to support Rotary and its partners’ polio eradication
efforts.
 See your donation tripled when you contribute to Rotary’s PolioPlus efforts, through
the 2:1 match by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
 Support the fight to end polio by visiting endpolionow.org to learn more and
contribute.