The Relentless War on Polio by Rotary continues across the World says End Polio Now Coordinator Shyamashree Sen

Shyamashree Sen

What is the role of Rotary in combating Polio?

Shyamashree Sen: Rotary International was the 1st nongovernmental organisation to take up the challenge to eradicate polio from the face of the earth. It was not till 1985 that Rotary joined hands with WHO, UNICEF, CDC, GAVI and the GATES FOUNDATION to form the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). That way Rotary was the first social organisation to start the work of polio eradication through immunisation in the Philippines and then in other parts of the world from as early as 1980. A movement which started in 1985 is still 99.9% complete and for us Indian Rotarians it has been the toughest challenge faced since its inception. With a country as big, as diverse in terms of religion, ethnicity, religion, language, caste, creed and even colour, convincing 100 percent of the population for vaccination it was surely more than a herculean task.

As End Polio Now Coordinator are you happy with the role of the stakeholders in keeping India Polio free?

Shyamashree Sen: A tricky but an interesting question, I am responsible for 10 Rotary districts - 9 in India and 1 in Nepal. My job is to raise awareness at the grassroots level so that new born up to the age of 5 are given the polio vaccines on time. Besides that, my more important responsibility is to help and encourage the District Governors and PolioPlus Chairs organize fun and interesting fund raisers so that the Polio Fund of the Rotary Foundation is able to match a fund of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation every year. Only then can the children of the world receive the vaccines that will save them from the crippling disease called poliomyelitis.

Somehow some of the districts are very forthcoming in their fund raising and help willingly. Unfortunately, many districts do not understand how important it is and ignore it thinking polio has been eradicated from India so why should they bother? In this matter I must give sincere thanks to the Rotarians of Nepal as they donate large amounts every year even though their country has been polio free for a long time.

What are your expectations from volunteers of Rotary towards a Polio Free India?

Shyamashree Sen: I wish we were a bit more serious about polio eradication. As it is often said, until even one child has polio, no child on earth is safe. We need to be very aware of the dates for National Immunisation Days and ensure every child 0-5 years of age receives the two drops. All volunteers including civic workers need to be dedicated to this. We as Rotarians must raise awareness and funds to pay for the polio vaccines and to pay the health workers as well as report any case or lacuna promptly.

Are the celebrities and icons proactive in supporting the Polio program in India?

Shyamashree Sen: India has been very lucky in receiving support from celebrities and icons for the cause of polio eradication. At the time when India was on the brink of being declared a polio free country, support came from actors, authors, musicians, singers, sportsmen and other famous people. The most popular person in the polio eradication campaign, who did many short films and photo shoots, was Amitabh Bachchan. Shahrukh Khan was one of the first stars to endorse the cause of Polio eradication in late 90's and played an important part in convincing a section of the population in India when it was hitting a roadblock. Over the past decade, Rotary and UNICEF have engaged a number of other celebrities, including Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee, Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Aishwarya Rai, Amir Khan, Soha Ali Khan. Popular national and regional celebrities such as Farooq Sheikh and an actor/singer from Bihar - Manoj Tiwari - visited and interacted with communities in the toughest refusal areas to garner support for the vaccination programme. For the past decade, India's cricketers have been key players in the country's fight to stop polio. In this cricket crazy country, the impact of cricketers publicly calling on parents to immunize their children has ensured that the polio eradication programme has enjoyed widespread community support. The Bowl Out Polio campaign has been a key pillar of the success of India's battle to end polio.

Cricket superstars like Steve Waugh, Inzamam-ul-Haq,Rahul Dravid, Brett Lee, Saurav Ganguly Virendra Sehwag Suresh Raina, Anil Kumble, Yusuf Pathan, M. S. Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh actively campaigned for a Polio free India and appeal for immunization.

What are the challenges of Polio vaccination campaign in countries like Pakistan, Aghanistan or African countries?

Shyamashree Sen: There are some issues in Pakistan and Afghanistan which are based on religious beliefs. Safety of the polio workers get disrupted from time to time. However, the vaccination process is now revamped.

Afghanistan is also organising vaccinations with a determination like never before.

Africa has been declared polio free.

Right now the count for children afflicted by the Wild Polio Virus across the globe stands at 30 - 20 in Pakistan, 2 in Afghanistan and 8 in Mozambique.

The Relentless War on Polio by Rotary continues across the World.