Since the effort was launched, polio cases have declined by 99.9%, preventing an estimated 20 million children from paralysis and saving more than 1.5 million lives. The Americas were declared polio-free in 1994, the Western Pacific in 2000, Europe in 2002, South-East Asia (including India) in 2014, and Africa in 2020. Today, polio remains endemic in only two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan.
History of Rotary’s polio eradication efforts:
Rotary International’s journey to eradicate polio began in 1979 with a multi-year project to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines. In 1985 it officially launched its flagship PolioPlus programme; the first and largest internationally coordinated private-sector support initiative for a public health goal. Since then, Rotary has contributed almost US$3 billion towards polio eradication, mobilized over 1 million volunteers, and vaccinated nearly 20 million children across 122 countries. Rotary has contributed close to US$500 million in Pakistan for Polio eradication.
Polio eradication in Pakistan & Rotary:
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, supported by Rotary and GPEI partners, is one of the most extensive public health campaigns in the world. More than 339,000 health workers, many of them women, go door-to-door across Pakistan to ensure that every child under five is immunized. But conflict, misinformation, and migration patterns have posed persistent obstacles. Yet, as the example of India (which achieved polio-free status in 2014 under similar socio-economic conditions) demonstrates, eradication is not only possible, but within reach. The solution lies in unyielding political will, community engagement, and the unwavering efforts of organizations like Rotary.
Rotarian Aziz Memon (Past Trustee The Rotary Foundation, PDG District 3271 and Past President of Rotary Club of Karachi), has led the progranrme in Pakistan since 2009 to-date. He is a member of the International PolioPlus Committee, and is currently the National Chair, Pakistan PolioPlus Committee.
In Pakistan, a wide range of intensified polio eradication initiatives and projects have been undertaken including:
1. Rotary Polio Resource Centres
PNPPC has established 9 Resource Centres, that serve as focal points for social mobilization and community engagement in support of polio eradication.
2.Team Support Centres (TSCs)
Rotary has established 16 Team Support Centres in the super high-risk areas of Gadap, Landhi, Baldia, and Malir Towns (Karachi), providing a safe and organized space for training Community Health Workers (CHWs) before and during polio campaigns, thus strengthening the capacity of frontline workers operating in challenging environments.
3. Permanent Immunization Centres (PICs)
Across Pakistan, Rotary Clubs have adopted 24 Permanent Immunization Centres (PICs) set up by the local government.
4.Permanent Transit Posts (PTPs)
To reach children on the move, PNPPC has established 51 Permanent Transit Posts (PTPs) and 65 Polio kiosks at highways, airports, bus terminals, and railway stations across Pakistan. These posts vaccinate children from mobile and transient populations who may otherwise miss polio drops.
5.Solar Water Filtration Plants
Recognizing the link between poor sanitation and disease spread, PNPPC has installed 52 Solar Water Filtration Plants. An additional 4 Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants have been installed in areas with highly contaminated water.
6. Health Camps
Rotary Clubs across the country regularly organize health camps in underserved communities. These camps not only provide basic healthcare services but also act as an effective advocacy tool, building goodwill and trust in communities where vaccination refusals are high or where children have been missed during campaign rounds.
7. Cold-chain Support
To ensure the quality and safety of vaccines, PNPPC has supplied 19 Ice-Lined Refrigerators (ILRs) for cold-chain management in Karachi and parts of interior Sindh. Additionally, 10 solar-powered refrigerators were distributed—five in Sujawal (Sindh) and five in high-risk areas of Balochistan—on the request of provincial governments.
8. Vaccine Carriers
Rotary has funded the procurement of 200,000 vaccine carriers for frontline health workers in Pakistan, along with 5,000 vaccine carriers for Afghanistan. These carriers play a critical role in maintaining vaccine potency during door-to-door campaign.
9. Speaking Books. A bilingual book in Urdu and Pushto titled ‘A Story of Health’ was made in collaboration with UNICEF for illiterate communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The book proved a vital tool for school children in advocating good health practices, hygiene and sanitation and importance of Polio vaccine.
“The final steps are always the hardest, but history will remember those who refused to give up. Eradication will be a victory for humanity; proof that collective action, global solidarity, and the simple act of caring for children can change the course of history. And as Rotarians, we take pride in knowing that polio eradication is Rotary’s gift to the world, and it is within our grasp to make it permanent.” – Aziz Memon
Credit for this comprehensive write-up (edited in parts) goes to Rtn. Asher Ali, National Project Manager, Pakistan National Polio Plus Committee, & Rotary International WASH Ambassador, District 3271
