November 3 — A leader of Rotary’s polio campaign on International Healthcare Philanthropy
One of the great (and still not quite finished) stories of health and civil society is the Rotary International’s campaign to eradicate polio. Discuss that initiative and other possibilities with one of the leaders.
When: Monday, November 3, 3:30 PM
Where: University Library Auditorium, IUPUI Campus
From Dr. Scott’s Rotary International bio:
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Bob received a medical degree with distinction in dermatology and chest diseases from the University of Edinburgh in 1957. After his internship and two years of mandatory military service, he spent six years in general practice in North Wales. In 1966, Bob emigrated to Cobourg, where he continued as a general practitioner until 1994. He then served as medical director of a home for the elderly and other geriatric facilities until 1997. He was a coroner for the Province of Ontario and investigated more than 1,200 cases before retiring in May 2000.
In 2004, Bob became a Rotary Foundation trustee. In 2006, he began his term as chair of the International PolioPlus Committee. A Paul Harris Fellow, Bob has received the RI Service Above Self Award, The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service, the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World, and the Four Avenues of Service Citation. He has been named an outstanding leader in polio eradication by the United Nations Foundation and has received the Glenn Sawyer Service Award from the Ontario Medical Association for professional and community achievement.
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
Rotarians with igloo coolers fanning out around the world, giving polio shots in tiny villages and urban slums … that’s an image of humanity at its best. The global effort, begun in 1988 and led by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and The Rotary Foundation, has reduced the number of annual diagnosed cases from the hundreds of thousands to around a thousand. Should the effort be successful, the eradication of polio will represent only the second time a disease in humans has been eradicated, after smallpox. Can it be replicated, on a smaller scale or even on a bigger scale for other diseases?
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
- September 16 — The ties linking Indiana to Kenya will be acknowledged at the International Center’s “Citizen of the Year” award dinner
- September 17 — South African theologian Isabel Phiri discusses HIV/AIDS, violence against women, and notions of masculinity in Africa
- September 19 — A Discussion by global leaders of Smart Power: Pursuing a Global Development Agenda to Thwart Health Pandemics and Extreme Poverty at DePauw
- October 13 — IUPUI Conference on Mexico and immigration will explore health issues
- November 6-8 — The symposium “Cancer Stories” explores the impact of narrative on medical conditions
