Addis Ababa 18 November -- Rotarians from the United States of America and Canada have been supporting Ethiopia’s polio eradication efforts for over ten years. As part of their support, 32 Rotarians, representing the 24,000 Rotarians in the US and Canada, are currently visiting Ethiopia to better understand the challenges remaining to kick polio out of the country.

Rotary, an international service organization, contributes to its partners’ (World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) efforts, under the leadership of the Government of Ethiopia, to ensure that every child receives the life-saving drops of polio vaccine.

Rotary is working closely with the WHO Country Office in Ethiopia, and during their visit the Rotarians met with Dr Pierre M’Pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, to discuss new developments and Ethiopia’s response activities to the polio outbreak in the Somali Region. WHO Country Office briefed the Rotary delegation on the polio eradication programme in Ethiopia and the wild polio virus outbreak response in the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia). Since the onset of the first polio case on 10 July, five additional cases of wild poliovirus Type 1 have been reported from the Somali Region. The last case was reported on 19 September. The Rotary delegation was informed that theFederal Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, with its partners, has adequately responded to the outbreak.

On behalf of WHO, Dr M’Pele-Kilebou commended the good collaboration between WHO and Rotary International, “We are a team and we will continue working together in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.”

The Rotarians visited Hawassa in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) on 14-15 November, where they participated in a house-to-house polio supplementary immunization activity. The Rotarians were welcomed by Ato Habtamu Beyene, Deputy Head, SNNPR Regional Health Bureau, at the SOS Children’s Village in a colorful event attended by Government bureau heads, religious leaders, civil society representatives, local and international NGOs, and UN agencies (WHO and UNICEF).

The Rotary delegates were also honoured at an event at the President’s palace on 17 November for Rotary International’s support to Ethiopia’s efforts to kick polio out of the country.

 01 US And Canadian Rotarians Met With WHO Country Office For Ethiopia To Discuss Ethiopias Response Activities To The Polio Outbreak In The Somali Region 02 WHO Country Office For Ethiopia Briefed The Rotarians On The Current Situation Of Wild Polio Virus Outbreak In The Horn Of Africa 03 The Rotarians Participated In A Polio Supplementary Immunization Activity In Hawassa, SNNPR, 14-15 November 04 05 06
_________________________________________________________________

For more information, please contact:

Dr William Komakech, komakechw [at] et.afro.who.int, +251 911200-598;

Viivi Erkkilä, erkkilav [at] et.afro.who.int, Tel: +251-936 811 947