When we think of Rotary + Disease Prevention, our first thought goes to that humongous international project, Polio Plus, the eradication of Polio. It was started just a bit over a year before our club was chartered in February 1987, with a budget of – then – eyewatering $US 120 Million. At the time, there were an estimated 350,000 cases of Polio in 125 countries. Since then, 2.5 Billion children have been immunised. Today, Polio cases have been reduced by 99.99%, with only very few cases remaining in regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, almost impossible to access.
But let’s look closer to home:
In our club, Surfers Sunrise, we have the almost completed X-Ray Unit for Vanuatu, and of course our ‘Rough Terrain’ wheelchairs our volunteers manufacture by repurposing unwanted bicycles. For the latter, one might argue that it cannot be classified into ‘preventing disease’. Think again.
At District Level, there is the huge Malaria Vaccine Appeal. So far, our district has raised some $1.1 Million towards project. It is conducted by Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, in 2020 reached human trial stage. Click here for more details. On a broader scale is the long running Rotary Against Malaria (RAM). The aim of this is not just elimination, but, meanwhile, prevention via reducing mosquito population and plain vanilla, but effective measures such as mosquito nets.Nationally, in Australia and New Zealand we have Australian Rotary Health (formerly called the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund). This fund awards around $1 Million every year in grants to researchers in various disciplines, but primarily relating to mental health, as well as scholarships for training of indigenous nurses.
Another important District Project: the Human Brain Research Project. The program funds a 3 year program for a PHD student doing research into Parkinson’s Disease.
There are various other both local as well as international projects at both individual club as well as at our District level aimed at Disease Prevention and Treatment. Check out our District Website.