Polio Eradication: The Final Mile
A Global Mission Powered by Professional Excellence
The Rotary Club of North Hobart has made polio eradication one of its most active causes. We don't just donate — we advocate, we educate, and we take the message to the world stage.
Rotary launched its global polio eradication program in 1985. Four decades later, we are in the final mile. North Hobart intends to be part of finishing the job.
Rotary launched its global polio eradication program in 1985. Four decades later, we are in the final mile. North Hobart intends to be part of finishing the job.
Authoritative Science: Dr. Tara Anderson
We are fortunate to have as a member of our club Dr. Tara Anderson, an Infectious Diseases Physician and Clinical Microbiologist at the Royal Hobart Hospital, and Specialist Medical Advisor for the Tasmanian Infection Prevention and Control Unit.
In February 2025, Tara addressed our club with "Polio: An Interesting Tale" — tracing the journey from the pre-vaccine era to today, and making the case for why continued vigilance matters even now. On World Polio Day, she took that message to ABC Radio, bringing the science directly to a broad Tasmanian audience.
Having a specialist of Tara's calibre as an active member means our advocacy is grounded in evidence, not just enthusiasm.
Taking Hobart to the World StageAt the Rotary International Convention in Singapore, club members Adam Reibel and Roslyn Teirney presented a breakout session titled "How to Make Your End Polio Campaign a Public Image Triumph" — covering digital storytelling, community events, and media support as tools for driving real-world impact in global health advocacy.
For a full hour, not one person left the room.
For a full hour, not one person left the room.
Your Dollar Does Three Times the Work
Every donation to Rotary's End Polio Now campaign is matched two-to-one by the Gates Foundation — meaning every $1 you give becomes $3 on the ground, directly funding vaccines and logistics in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the last places on earth where polio still circulates.
This is one of the most powerful matching arrangements in global philanthropy. It won't last forever — it ends when polio does.
Every donation to Rotary's End Polio Now campaign is matched two-to-one by the Gates Foundation — meaning every $1 you give becomes $3 on the ground, directly funding vaccines and logistics in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the last places on earth where polio still circulates.
This is one of the most powerful matching arrangements in global philanthropy. It won't last forever — it ends when polio does.
Join the PolioPlus Society
Make a Commitment to History
The PolioPlus Society is for donors who want to see this through to the end. Members pledge a minimum of US $100 per year until polio is officially eradicated. Every dollar remains eligible for the Gates Foundation's two-to-one match.
It is a small commitment with an outsized impact — and a place in history when the job is finally done.
Click here to donate to End Polio Now → my.rotary.org/en/polioplus-fund