During the month of December, we recognise all that Rotary International and Rotarians are doing to combat diseases through effective treatment and prevention. It was certainly no small task that RI decided to take on in 1985 when we pledged to eradicate polio. Smallpox in 1979 is the only infectious disease that has ever been eradicated due to diligent vaccination and surveillance efforts; the same efforts that have bought mankind closer to the elimination of another devastating disease.
An amazing partnership between RI, the World Health Organization, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and regional governments is working to make this possible. Although infectious diseases continue to be a major cause of illness and death across the globe, they are not the major health concerns for most developed countries. Many people now see their lives shortened by chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Many of these conditions are not caused by infectious agents but are rather due to certain health behaviours and social conditions.
The continued involvement of Rotary in Disease Prevention and Treatment will need to be directed toward finding solutions to these social and behavioural determinants of health while continuing to fight against existing and emerging disease threats. Disease prevention and treatment takes on many forms, from supporting studies to helping immunise people to improving drinking water and the sanitation infrastructure. The world relies on Rotary to tackle these global challenges, and to set an example for others to follow.
The Rotary International organisation sets up health camps and training facilities in undeveloped countries and in communities struggling with HIV/AIDS and malaria. They also design and build the infrastructure for doctors, nurses, governments, and partners to reach the one in six people in the world who can't afford to pay for healthcare.
For further information on his topic, go to: -
https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/fighting-disease