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The Polio Plus Program is Rotary's massive worldwide effort to eradicate Poliomyelitis and to protect children from Tuberculosis, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria, Measles and Tetanus by the year 2005, Rotary's 100th Anniversary.

The program was launched in 1985 with fund-raising as a primary focus. By 1994 Rotarians of the world has raised more than $246 Million. These funds have enabled Rotary Foundation to make grants to provide a five-year supply of vaccine to any developing country requesting it. Grants have been made to almost 100 countries.

In 1988, the World Health Organisation adopted a resolution to eradicate Polio throughout the world by this year. Rotary has endorsed this goal. Achieving eradication will be difficult and expensive, only one other disease, smallpox has ever been eradicated.

It will require continuing immunization of children worldwide. Rotary is not alone in these efforts but in partnership with governments, the World and Pan American Health Organisations, UNICEF and others.

Every Rotarian can share in this achievement in what must be the greatest humanitarian commitment ever seen by a non-governmental organisation.

We continue to follow this program in the pursuit of a better, healthier place for all children worldwide.

News: (Extract from the Rotary Africa Volume 73 No 8)
Two American philanthropic organizations joined Rotary International and the United Nations during December in the effort to rid the world of polio by the end of this year.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (set up by the family of Microsoft Corporation founder Bill Gates), and the United Nations Foundation (established by media tycoon Ted Turner), donated $50 Million and $28 Million, respectively.