Rotary Convention Recognized Around the World

On 12 June, nations from around the world and key donors pledged $1.2 billion to energize the global fight to end polio.

The historic pledges of new funds at the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, will go toward drastically shrinking the $1.5 billion gap in the funding that the partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative say is needed to reduce polio cases to zero worldwide.

Rotary President John Germ and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced a commitment of up to $450 million to support the eradication of polio. Rotary committed to raising $50 million per year over the next three years, with every dollar to be matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation. Rotary has raised more than $1.7 billion to fight the disease since 1985.

The Rotary Convention was included in several top-tier media outlets around the world. Click on the links below to read the full articles. See the full list of all Rotary media coverage.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to announce the new Rotary and Gates Foundation funding agreement.

Polio Ambassador John Cena interviewed Bill Gates on the Today Show. The segment highlights the need to eradicate polio worldwide, the Rotary Convention, and the funding agreement.

Bill Gates spoke with CNN about the funding agreement, lives saved from disease eradication, and the value of foreign aid.

Forbes published an article that highlighted the new funding agreement. 

The Globe and Mail announced Canada’s pledge of US$75 million to help eradicate polio, as well as Rotary’s commitment to a polio-free world, and the renewed funding agreement.

All Africa reported on global health leaders gathering at the Rotary Convention to reaffirm their commitment to end polio by pledging US$ 1.2 billion to finance eradication efforts.

WWE covered John Cena’s involvement as a Rotary polio ambassador. 

Gulf News Health announced the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pledge of US$30 million as part of its commitment to eradicate polio.

The Tribune Express reported on Polio Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq’s visit to the Rotary Convention and how Pakistan is helping end polio.

Atlanta Journal Constitution published an op-ed authored by Ted Turner that highlighted Rotary’s role in polio eradication, the long road towards eradication, and the millions of lives that have been saved thanks to Rotary and the GPEI.