Pam Prichard, from the Rotary Club of Turramurra was District 9680’s first female District Governor in 2006-07, and is well known to many members.
Pam spoke with knowledge and passion on the progress of The Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus campaign which began in 1985 to rid the world of the scourge of polio. The UN, the World Health Organization and many others said that it couldn’t be done but today, the annual rate of new polio cases has fallen from around 1,000 per day to about 1,000 per annum, a remarkable achievement. Today, polio remains in only 4 countries: Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Type 2 Polio has already been totally eliminated with the others expected to also become extinct within 2 or 3 years.
Although this is an expensive program, it is far less expensive than to accept the current level of infections and to handle the new cases as they arise. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have donated $US100 million to the Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus project on condition that it be matched by Rotary Clubs. A donation of $US1,000 from each Rotary Club in the world for 3 years will see it matched. After the first year, we are on track to reach the goal.
Clubs are encouraged to donate, as are individual Rotarians. For an on-going $100 pa, Rotarians can become Centurions, and receive Paul Harris recognition when their accumulated donations pass the $US1,000 mark.
PDG Pam was thanked by Bob Manley, noting that Pam was the DG’s Zone Representative in 1999-2000 when Bob served an earlier term as Club President.
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