Badar Shamim, RC of Brampton, District 7080 Polio Plus Chair, Guest Speaker
President's Comments
Past President Bill welcomed all to the meeting today.
Happy Jar
Louise Gardiner was happy to have been involved in the special Hallowe’en festivities, at KidsAbility, along with others form the club.
Club Announcements
Volunteer Opportunities – See Emails sent from Louise Gardiner
Food For Kids – November 12 2:00-4:00p.m.
Easter Seals Celebrity Hockey Tournament, RIM Park, November 22 morning and afternoon shifts needed
A Better Tent City
We be collecting personal hygiene items to donate to A Better Tent City at our next meeting on November 11. Small, travel-size items such as deodorant, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc., are needed.
Online Auction
Our Online Auction is underway. Now is the time to be promoting it to friends, family and colleagues. Spread the word:rotaryonlineauction.ca
Program Highlights
Our program today was an update on Rotary Internationals Polio Plus program. Presented by Badar Shamim, district Polio Plus Chair.
Badar Shamim has been a member of Rotary Club of Brampton since 2006. He has previously served as the Club Director, Int’l Service as well as Director, Community Service and is currently serving as the Club Immediate Past President during the current Rotary year. A Brock University grad, and a Portfolio Manager by profession, Badar has worked in the investment industry for over 24 years. Badar, is a Past Chair and a lifetime member of his regional chamber Brampton Board of Trade and also serves as a Director on the board of Canada Turkey Business Council, a Canadian trade and investment advocacy organization promoting bilateral economic relations between Canada and our G20/ NATO ally Turkey. Badar is married to Saima Fayyaz since 2011, and in their free time they like to play golf, and travel.
Badar provided information on the background and history of the program, some of the current challenges such as the impact of the war in Gaza and the plans for moving forward. Here are some highlights from his presentation.
Why did Rotary start this worldwide polio eradication humanitarian project in 1979 and why is it still Rotary’s #1 Humanitarian Project
It Saves Lives
It’s Achievable
It’s A Good Investment
It Creates the Infrastructure to Eliminate any Disease
Bill Gates address Aug 24th 2021 Celebration
“There was nothing inevitable about Africa becoming Polio Free”
It took collaboration of Politicians, World Leaders, Donors, Regional Leaders, Religious Leaders, Public Health and HCW and ROTARIANS
And some even gave their lives
The War in the Gaza Strip
Rotary was involved in the negotiations for Humanitarian Pauses to vaccinate the children
Sep 1-12 2024 – Vaccinated 559,161 children under 10
Oct 14 2024 – Second round of polio vaccine with Vit. A to 591,700 children
More than 800 social mobilizers reach out to families
Each Campaign in the Gaza Strip involves:
Three phases- three campaign days and one catch up day
Radio spots, short message services (SMS) and all digital channels available in Gaza will also amplify these messages.
Polio Plus Program Helping Other Disease Prevention e.g. COVID 19
HCW and Polio network are known and trusted in their community as front line workers and immediately spread word about social distancing, hand washing and masks
Contact tracing call centres repurposed for Covid 19 tracing.
Surveillance labs used for COVID 19 testing
Polio Plus Bill boards in Nigeria used for info on COVID 19 – Hand washing and social distancing
New Polio Eradication Strategy
Goal One: Permanently eradicate The Wild Polio Virus
Goal Two: Stop Transmission of Vaccine-Derived poliovirus
Cost: $4.8B Funding Required Worldwide, Over 5 Years - 2022-2026
Steps: Immunizing up to 400 MILLION CHILDREN
Funding hundreds of thousands of POLIO- WORKERS
Intensifying DISEASE SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES
Polio Plus IMPACT To Date
3 Billion Children Vaccinated
19 million people walking & not paralyzed
Helped prevent other vaccine preventable diseases, e.g. Measles, Ebola, Covid 19, etc
Contributed $2.5 Billion ($1.3B, matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation’s $1.2B)
Closing Remarks & Reminders
Nov. 5 – Tree Planting – Lynvalley Park, Kitchener (late pm)
Nov. 11 – Remembrance Day Observance (Charcoal)
Nov. 15 – “Warm Hearts, New Homes” Ukrainian Care Evening, 7:00 p.m., Hespeler Baptist Church, Cambridge
Nov. 16 – Online Auction Ends
Nov. 18 – Club Committee’s Meeting Week
Nov. 22 & 23 – Online Auction Items Distribution
Nov. 25 – Tour of New KidsAbility Facility in Kitchener
Kitchener Rotary e-Newsletter
Badar Shamim has been a member of Rotary Club of Brampton since 2006. He has previously served as the Club Director, Int’l Service as well as Director, Community Service and is currently serving as the Club Immediate Past President during the current Rotary year. A Brock University grad, and a Portfolio Manager by profession, Badar has worked in the investment industry for over 24 years. Badar, is a Past Chair and a lifetime member of his regional chamber Brampton Board of Trade and also serves as a Director on the board of Canada Turkey Business Council, a Canadian trade and investment advocacy organization promoting bilateral economic relations between Canada and our G20/ NATO ally Turkey. Badar is married to Saima Fayyaz since 2011, and in their free time they like to play golf, and travel.
