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Photo Caption: Dr. Lisa Ryan, Active Rotarian and Dedicated Pediatrician, at Pleasant Mt. Event
October is Polio Eradication Month for Rotary International, and the Bridgton–Lake Region Rotary Club is using this time to remind the community that polio still exists in the world — and outbreaks can occur when vaccination rates fall. “Polio is only a plane ride away,” noted Rotarian Dr. Lisa Ryan, a pediatrician in western Maine. “Vaccination remains the best protection against sometimes deadly childhood diseases.” Rotary, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, continues to fund global eradication efforts that provide vaccines for polio, measles, and other preventable illnesses.
Michael McGovern, Chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee and a member of the South Portland–Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club, highlighted recent progress. “With only three cases of polio reported this year as of mid August, Pakistan is making great strides,” he said. “The remaining challenges come from a few communities where vaccinations are not allowed.” As reported in the October 2026 issue of Rotary Magazine, Pakistan shares a porous border with Afghanistan, the only other country where polio remains endemic, complicating eradication efforts due to political and security concerns.
Reflecting on her 2025 travels in the Philippines, Carol Madsen of the Bridgton–Lake Region Rotary Club noted the shared commitment between nations. “I was surprised and pleased by the common interests between our countries. When the Philippines learned what the U.S. was doing to fight polio, they quickly mobilized to protect their children.”
Rotary’s involvement in polio eradication began in the Philippines. According to Rotary International, on September 29, 1979, Rotary President James L. Bomar Jr. administered the first drops of oral polio vaccine to a child in Makati City, Philippines launching a nationwide immunization program that reached roughly six million children. This early success inspired Rotary to make polio eradication a global priority.
Rotary launched PolioPlus in 1985 and became a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, alongside UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the United Nations, USAID, and later the Gates Foundation. Today, Rotary’s 45,000 clubs and 1.2 million members across more than 200 countries remain key funders of the effort. For the past two decades, the Gates Foundation has matched Rotary donations 2:1.
Rotary District 7780 — covering southern Maine and coastal New Hampshire — contributes about $60,000 annually to PolioPlus. With the Gates Foundation match, that impact grows to approximately $180,000 each year.
“We are committed to making a difference in the world, and eradicating polio remains one of Rotary’s most important initiatives,” said Dr. Ryan, recent past president of the Bridgton–Lake Region Rotary Club.
The Bridgton–Lake Region Rotary Club also supports local initiatives in literacy, scholarships, food insecurity, veterans programs, and more. The club meets on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Thursdays of each month at 7:30 a.m. at the Bridgton Alliance Church Fellowship Hall. All are welcome. For more information, visit LakeRegionRotary.com or the club’s Facebook page.
