Rotary International is “a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world.” Rotary International, founded in 1905, is a non-profit, non-religious charitable organization. Today there are about 1.2 million Rotarians, and there are 31,000 Rotary clubs in 166 countries.

     One of the main areas of Rotary's focus is polio eradication. Other areas include international education, literacy, and peace. Rotary International strives to improve communities locally and around the world in all of these aspects.

     The Rotary Clubs started to focus on polio eradication in 1985, which is “the largest private-sector support of global health initiative.” In 1985, Rotary started its PolioPlus program. Its goal is to help protect children all over the world from polio. PolioPlus has achieved a 99 percent reduction of the cases of polio worldwide. It is able to do this with the help of its partners: UNICEF, WHO, CDC, and other governments around the world. The goal of all of these organizations is to completely eradicate polio in the year 2005. In fact, 2005 is Rotary’s centennial year, thus, the eradication of polio would be a huge gift. To read the Rotary Interview with Carol Pandak, click Here.

     By the time that polio is eradicated, the contributions of Rotary will be more than US$600 million. These efforts are recognized worldwide as a tremendous charitable goal. Past WHO director, General Gro Harlem Brundtland once said Rotarians are “the first group with the vision of a polio-free world and the resolve to see the job done.” To learn more about Rotary International, click Here