December is Rotary's "Disease Prevention and Treatment Month". Every month is dedicated to one of the major themes of our Rotary lives; this month the theme is that which RI is perhaps best known for, at least among non-Rotarians.
The eradication of polio has of course been Rotary International's s major worldwide, corporate effort since the early 1980’s. And remarkable progress has been made. The job is not finished however and you can rest assured that we will not, cannot, set this torch down until that job is finished. Disease prevention and treatment is one of the Rotary Foundation Areas of Focus. And for good reason. The health and vitality of a person, a family and a community can be seriously impaired by what in many cases is a preventable disease. Disease prevention is really a keystone to progress in other areas as well because of the interplay with other areas of focus like Water and Sanitation and Maternal & Child Health.
You can help support Rotary's efforts to finally eradicate polio (we're 99.9% there!) by supporting The Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus Fund - all donations matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Donations to The Rotary Foundation are tax receiptable in Canada. www.rotary.org/en/donate This link will take you to Canada's page for The Rotary Foundation where donations can be made and Canadian tax receipts issued. The donation earns PHF points that will show up on your Rotary Foundation account.