Polio mapping goes high-tech
When polio vaccinators fanned out across the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year to stop an outbreak, they carried a powerful new tool: cellphones that tracked their progress as they went from door to door. Equipped with an app, the phones send data back to a command center where staff can see missed homes on a digital map and redirect teams on the ground. The country is helping pioneer geospatial tracking to stop polio outbreaks. Vaccinators, trained by the World Health Organization, hit the streets in June 2023, armed with hundreds of phones, after an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1. Read more about using phones to combat polio.
This week’s stories
3 magical steps to increase membership
The Rotary Club of Seoul-Hansoo, Korea, had about 100 members when Rotary Foundation Trustee Chun-Wook Hyun began his year as district governor nearly a decade ago. Determined to increase membership, district leaders developed a five-year strategic plan for future growth. By creating several satellite clubs – sub-units of Rotary clubs that meet on different days and times but otherwise share their identity with the original clubs – the Seoul-Hansoo club grew to 433 members. It’s just one way clubs are innovating, adapting, and creating great club experiences for their members. Read Hyun’s “magical” membership growth tips.
A future where cervical cancer is not a threat
Dr. Rita Kalra leads Project Aastha, an initiative that vaccinates adolescent girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Through a comprehensive awareness campaign, the Rotary Club of Chandigarh Midtown, Haryana, India, has educated thousands of girls about the dangers of cervical cancer while vaccinating more than 500 girls. Kalra, a member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers, says it’s about more than mere numbers: It’s about building a shield around the girls to protect them from future health threats. Read more about her club’s efforts.
Remembering Paul Alexander, who lived in an iron lung
Paul Alexander, a 78-year-old from Texas, USA, who spent most of his life in an iron lung, died on 11 March. Alexander, who contracted polio in 1952, had been a member of a Rotary e-club and spoke at Rotary events. Read a story we reported in 2015.