Healthier lives ahead for South Pacific children 

Rotary International showcases major vaccination program initiated at Rotary Sydney. Rotary Give Every Child a Future (RGCAF) has been supported across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands & beyond. RGCAF is the largest joint Rotary/UNICEF programme since Polio plus.

Girl

We are vaccinating adolescent girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer in later life.
 
“It’s hard to transport vaccines to the outer islands because of the distance and transport availability. Sometimes they have to wait one to three months to get a boat across,” says Rufina Tutai, who oversees immunizations for the Cook Islands. The 15 islands in her jurisdiction are spread over nearly 2 million square kilometers (770,000 square miles).
 
To read the RGECF June 2024 newsletter click here
 

vaccination

And vaccinating children against rotavirus and  pneumococcal bacteria to reduce illness and   deaths from gastroenteritis, pneumonias,   meningitis and bacteraemia.
 
 And strengthening the immunisation programs   in each country so that these vaccines   continue to be delivered to future generations   of children.

 

Where did Rotarians get the US $ 3.9 million (AUS $5.9 Million) needed to implement this program?

  • 23 Rotary Foundation Global Grants, totalling US $980,000 

  • District Designated Funds, from every Rotary District in Australia and New Zealand, totalling US $807,000 

  • Rotary Clubs and members, US $990,000

  • Other foundations US $264,000, and 

  • The Australian government US $860,000

That funding paid for much more than vaccines. It was used to purchase special refrigerators, insulated containers, and other equipment to keep vaccines cool and transport them to the most distant islands. The health ministries in the nine island groups will be able to use this equipment for many years. That fulfills the project’s other goal of helping the targeted areas add the three vaccines to their regular immunization schedules. The program also trained almost 900 health workers, meeting a critical need.