Tiong (centre), Andre (on his left) and Rotary and Rotaract Club members show their support for the ‘End Polio Now’ campaign.
SIBU: Rotary Club of Kuching Central (Rotary International District 3310) targets to raise USD100,000 from its ‘End Polio Now’ campaign.
The campaign features a 422km ‘Polio Walk’ from Sibu to Kuching by three walkers from Rotary Club. They are Assistant Governor of Rotary International District 3310 in Singapore, Tay Wei Lien, Ex-Rotaractor of Rotaract Club of Likas Bay Mervyn Voo and past president of Rotary Club Johor Bahru, Dr Anga Muthu.
Rotary International District 3310 Governor 2014-15 Andre Suharto said the money raised from the Polio Walk would be used to buy vaccines for children to end polio. Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems, and even death.
“For as little as USD0.60, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life,” Andre said. He said Rotary Club began its mission to eradicate polio in 1985 and set to end the disease in 2005.
“Today, we still continue our efforts to give awareness to educate the public on polio eradication. Though there is no polio in Malaysia now, it does not mean polio will never come back,” he said when speaking to reporters on Sunday.
Andre added that the young generation might not have heard of polio because they were born without it.
“We are raising funds to purchase polio vaccines to be distributed to three infected countries, namely Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria,” he disclosed. He said some Pakistani people, especially men, were worried the vaccine would cause infertility.
“A health officer who gave the vaccine drop to a victim was killed,” he said, adding that they needed to do a lot of education campaigns as the vaccine actually would not cause any harm to their health. Andre said infected children would recover after taking an average of three to four drops of vaccine in a span of a few months.
“The number of vaccine drops depends on the person’s condition. The most is 18 drops to get a patient to recover,” he said.
On donations, he said Microsoft founder Bill Gates through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had been contributing to the ‘End Polio Now’ campaign since five years ago. He added that the foundation would contribute USD2 for every USD1 raised by the club.
Sibu Municipal Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King symbolically flagged off the Polio Walk on Sunday afternoon. Rotary and Rotaract Club members walked along the 1km Lanang Bridge after the flag-off to show support to the three walkers, who began their walk at 1am Monday at Lanang Bridge. They are expected to complete their mission in 11 days. According to Tay, this is his fourth ‘Polio Walk’ and the second for Voo while for Dr Anga it is the first time.
Tay prepared for the walk three months ago by walking two hours every weekday and four to eight hours during weekends. His previous Polio Walk was from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu two years ago.