255
Thursday, August 07, 2014
Remoteness not a challenge
for the poliovirus
But a major challenge for polio fighters and
requires complex coordination
24 July
2014 - PUNTLAND, Somalia:
UN agencies in Somalia combined forces once again
to
help a joint UNICEF and WHO team visit a
remote district of Puntland in north
east Somalia
where four people have contracted polio this year.
The victims –
a young father who died and three children who were paralysed
–
all came from Jariban district,
a long drive on a dusty track from the nearest
main town Galkayo
in an area known for pirates and armed gangs.
As these were
the only four polio cases
in Somalia so far this year,
it was essential to
visit the area to discover how the virus
got there and how to stop it spreading
further.
However the terrain, distance, logistics and above
all security
concerns made it an extremely challenging proposition.
After coordination and cooperation involving
at least four UN agencies,
the
convoy set off on at dawn on 22 July
and drove seven hours from Galkayo to
Jariban town,
where the team met a group of elders
to discuss the outbreak and
raise awareness
. The town has only one Mother and Child Health clinic
run by
the Red Crescent Society but no hospital or other facilities.
The following day
they drove another three hours
to Towfiq village where they visited the family
of the 29 year old man who had died after contracting polio.
‘This was a very sad visit –
the man’s wife said she and their five children
had been vaccinated but he had not.
He was the only breadwinner in the family,’
said Dr. Abraham Mulugeta,
WHO Somalia’s Polio Team Leader.
The three children who were paralysed
by polio this year live in villages close
to Towfiq
that are only accessible on foot,
so the team could not visit them.
However experts had already met one of the children,
two year old Asha, who had
earlier been brought
by her mother who was desperate for help to Galkayo.
While in Towfiq,
the team watched the door to door vaccination
campaign for
children
– the third round of vaccinations since the outbreak
was discovered in
the area in May this year.
There will be another campaign in August
in the
whole of Mudug region and surrounding areas
, for adults as well.
There is no
health facility in Towfiq
so these campaigns are crucial to stop the virus
spreading.
Vaccinators have been selected from the local community,
and clan leaders and
elders are being informed
about the need for vaccination.
More volunteers have
been recruited to search actively
for any cases of paralysis so that any polio
can be swiftly found
and the community adequately protected.
----------------------
On
22 November,
Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko
and six Rotary
staff members
will be joining Arizona Rotary members
to bike up to 104 miles in
El Tour de Tucson
to fundraise for polio eradication
and read about the team members.
--------------------------
reprinted with permission Rotary Club of Mill Point
Rotary Theme 1993/1994
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Hat
Day
is here again on Friday
October 10th, 2014
- the fundraising day where you wear a hat
and raise funds for mental health research.
We're asking organisations, clubs,
businesses
and others to show their support for the
1 in 5 people suffering a
mental illness.
100% of the funds you raise will go directly
to mental health research projects
around Australia
through Australian
Rotary Health.
So will you get
involved?
We've just launched a brand new website
for this
year's Hat Day
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Rotary Club of Freshwater Bay
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Rotary Club of Perth
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Rotary Club of Scarborough
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Rotary Club of Boulder
Past President Jim Fleming after being announced as Kalgoorlie/Boulder
Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the year
Pictured with his wife Claire
Rotary Club of Armadale
Board Director of Australian Rotary Health
Past District Governor Phil Cordery
presented Jeff Cairns with an Companion Award
for his substantial contributions to the Health Fund
Around the Clubs
Rotary Club of Kununurra
President Lars Moir and DG Angus. In Kununurra.
President Lars, Leif and Grace. Spent an
amazing day on the Ord River
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Rotary Club of Northam
Rotary Club of Balcatta
Held a joint meeting in Northam last week
President Jan Horsley and President Denis Parker
Balcatta Rotarians Karen Parker Michael and Jackie Reece
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Rotary Club of Boulder
The Radio Auction Party
The party to celebrate the
ending of the week long on-line auction
was a little subdued this year until it
was found
that the value of goods sold leapt by $800
immediately after the
auction closed.
There was excellent catering.
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Rotary Club of Karrinyup
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Rotary Club of Southern Districts
enjoying some fellowship on their Bus Tour
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Rotary Club of Freshwater Bay
Were visited by Rotarian Jeremy Foster
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Rotary Club of Applecross
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Rotary Club of Canning Bridge
Rotary Club of Hannans Kalgoorlie
District Governor Nominee Linda McLerie [D9465]
and President of Rotary Club of Hannans Kalgoorlie
with President Robyn Jones Rotary Club of Canning Bridge
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Rotary Club of Cockburn
Past Presidents [ 2013/14 ] Lunch
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Rotaract Club of Subiaco
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Rotary Club of Swan Valley
Service Above Selfie - President Donna Evans
and Rotarian Rachel Ivic at the Club's
Small Mob Shearing Day in Gidgegannup
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Rotary Club of Belmont
officiating at the weekly Swap Meet
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Rotary Club of Osborne Park
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Rotary Club of Karrinyup
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Rotary Club of Scarborough
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Rotary Club of Quairading
Rotary Club of Cunderdin
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Rotary Club of Swan Valley
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Club Promotions
September
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October
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Rotaract Clubs of D9455
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November
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2015
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Raise me up
Sally
and Harry have been married for 50 years
and are being interviewed by a
reporter
from the local newspaper.
"So Sally," asks the reporter,
"I know today is your golden
wedding anniversary,
how old, exactly, are you?"
"I am 78 years old," replies Sally proudly.
"And I hope I live
to be 100."
"Well I hope your wish comes true,"
says the reporter.
The
reporter then turned to Harry and asked,
"And how old are you,
Harry?"
"I'm also 78 years old," replies Harry,
"and, please God, I
should live to be 101."
"But why," asked the reporter,
"would you want to live one year
longer than your wife?"
"Well, to tell you the truth," replies Harry,
"I would like to
have at least one year
of peace and quiet."
Blonde changes Light Bulb
Western Australia
Bell Gorge in the Kimberley,
captured just
after sunset as the sky starts
changing colours and day turns into night.
— with George Iulian.
