In Rotary, we believe good health care is everyone’s right. Yet 400 million people in the world can’t afford or don’t have access to basic health care. Disease results in misery, pain, and poverty for those millions of people worldwide. In December, as Rotary focuses on Disease Prevention and Treatment, we can be grateful for our own excellent health system that, despite its various shortcomings, keeps us and our families and friends as well as possible.
As we celebrate the festive season, let's not focus on the endless health needs in our world. Let's take the time to appreciate some ways that we together in Rotary have shared and achieved in making the world a better place through Disease Prevention and Treatment. For example, Rotary-funded technology allows virtual doctors' appointments for people in rural Nigeria.
 |
| Ladner Rotary is part of a Rotary project, Adopt A Village Laos, delivering water filters to remote villages of Laos, reducing disease and increasing education and productivity of children and adults |
 Since the devastating tsunami hit Sri Lanka in 2004 the Rotary “Baby Hospital Galle” project launched in 2013, has helped more than 150,000 children and provided healthcare services to more than 2.2 million women |
 |
| Muslim and Christian women work together to prevent dengue fever in Indonesia, supported by Rotary |
 |
| Replacing traditional paper-reporting with accurate and timely cellphone-based reporting for health workers in Pakistan, is part of the Rotary-initiated, now the world's largest, public health initiative: ridding the world of the life crippling, sometimes lethal disease of polio |
 |
| Rotary-led Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia is making improvements to fight malaria in Zambia |
For instance, we set up temporary clinics, blood donation centers, and training facilities in under-served communities struggling with outbreaks and access to health care. We also focus on health education and routine care, such as hearing, vision, and dental care.
We design and build infrastructure that allows doctors, patients, and governments to work together.
Our members combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and, of course, polio.
We provide health education and bring routine hearing, vision, and dental care to people.
We have hundreds of health projects underway around the world at any given time to educate and equip communities to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases.
Rotary initiated, and has been instrumental in, the global effort of world health organizations, foundations and governments to eradicate polio. Over three billion infants and children have been vaccinated over the past 50 years, eradicating the crippling and sometimes deadly disease in 122 countries, with just two to go. The spinoff of that huge effort is systems to tackle other health priorities, such as Ebola.
Rotary is dedicated to creating a malaria-free world through treatment and prevention initiatives.
In Liberia, Rotary members have helped reduce new HIV infections in children by 95% over two years by promoting early testing for pregnant women.
Rotary has provided clean water to over 80% of Ghana's population, significantly reducing the incidence of Guinea worm disease.
Technology allows virtual doctors' appointments for people in rural communities.
With all the health challenges around the world, we can be grateful for our good fortune here in Canada.
As we come together with families and friends, to share joy, and reflect on the year gone by with warmth and goodwill, with aspirations for the future, this is an opportunity to celebrate in the spirit of the festive season what we in Rotary have achieved in Disease Prevention and Treatment worldwide and anticipate much more that we can do.