Copyright gbcghanaonline
By: Ama Joycelyn Tseyiboe Rotary International has reaffirmed its commitment to the global eradication of polio and the promotion of community development through various humanitarian projects across Ghana. Charles Boakye the HOC Chair and Nana Yaa Siriboe , the District Governor speaking in an interview on November 6,2025 on GTV’s breakfast show highlighted the organization’s historic role in fighting polio worldwide. The initiative began after a Memorandum of understanding was signed between the Philippines and Rotary International, which led to a major immunization campaign supported by the Rotary Foundation. Following the success of that project, Rotary launched the PolioPlus programme in 1985, and in 1988 became a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, alongside the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other partners. Thanks to these efforts, cases of the wild poliovirus have drastically declined, with only Afghanistan and Pakistan currently reporting infections. Ghana last recorded a wild poliovirus case in 2008, and in 2011, the WHO Africa Regional Office certified the country free of wild poliovirus. Although the continent no longer records wild cases, occasional vaccine-derived poliovirus infections have occurred in parts of Africa, often linked to poor sanitation. Ghana, however, has not reported any such cases this year. Rotary officials commended Ghanaian parents for ensuring that children under five continue to receive polio vaccinations, emphasizing that the fight must go on until global eradication is achieved. “Polio anywhere is polio everywhere,” they said. Beyond polio eradication, Rotary continues to support healthcare, education, and community development. Through the Rotary Foundation, which has raised over $4 billion globally, the organization funds projects in seven focus areas: disease prevention and treatment, peacebuilding, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic development, and environmental protection. In Ghana, Rotary clubs have been instrumental in providing boreholes, clean drinking water systems, school refurbishments, and vocational training for youth. Recent projects include the construction of two boreholes in Agomeda, one at a technical school and another at a basic school, and tree-planting exercises at Somenya Technical Institute. The organization is also promoting environmental conservation, working with the Forestry Commission and school-based Interact Clubs to plant trees in deforested areas. In addition, Rotary has intensified efforts in malaria prevention, cancer awareness campaigns, and free medical screenings nationwide. The organization’s motto, “Service Above Self,” continues to guide its mission to improve lives, strengthen communities, and promote peace and development around the world.
