Rotary helped eradicate Polio, will do the same on Covid-19
- Governor Rotary Sri Lanka & Maldives
The Wo rl d H e a l t h Organisation together with Rotary International has battled polio for almost thirty years to make the world free of polio and as at today and has achieved a success rate of 99%.
There are three countries yet to achieve this task namely Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria said the Governor Rotary Sri Lanka & Maldives AjithWeerasinghe the Governor Rotary Sri Lanka & Maldives at the Live talk show staged by the Rotaract Club of Colombo Mid Town.
Unless polio is completely eradicated in the world, you are not completely safe from it. This is why it is important to continue creating awareness and raising funds to safeguard our children from this life threatening virus,” said District Governor
Weerasinghe. It is possible that someone traveling to Sri Lanka from Pakistan, Afghanistan or Nigeria, and any Sri Lankan traveling to these countries could contract the virus from a carrier and transport it back home he warned, given that many feel that Sri Lanka is insulated from Polio he said.
In Sri Lanka, todate Rotary has funded over $ 600 million in providing the free government vaccination to all newborns and young kids in every district hospital and village. World over Rotary International has spent close to $ 2 billion in eradicating polio globally and we will give this leadership for Covid- 19 management too.
The new theme is branded ‘ Learning to live with Covid’ under the Rotary project Stop the Spread has reached almost 20% of the households in Sri Lanka via 5800;Interactors, 7000 Rotaractors and 2000 Rotarians with almost three hundred companies been certified as ‘ Covid Control Environments’ by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute( SLSI).
It’s very important for us to change our behaviour said the Governor for Rotary Sri Lanka & Maldives AjithWeerasinghe.
We must acknowledge all the national athletes, School athletes and the National Olympic Committee to partnering Rotary on this project on the ‘ New Normal Behaviour’ required which can be valued at over rupees one billion that includes five Sri Lanka Cricket Captains Rugby Captains, South Asian medallions and Commonwealth game’s winners quipped Governor Weerasinghe.