But the group, started in 1905 by four Chicago businessmen seeking companionship, has long been global, with 1.2 million members in 162 countries. In 1987, it stopped being for men only, opening its doors to women. In 2,000 of the 29,700 clubs, the president is now a woman. Rotary clubs have installed countless wells and have dug latrines all over the world. But no project captures its international focus as well as the effort against polio.
Many problems loom ahead, though.
Countries declared polio-free could see new cases as victims cross borders. The three largest vaccine producers are under increasing pressure to turn out the vaccine as fast as possible. The health organizations are shipping the innoculations as fast as drug companies can produce them. The problem is getting access. Poliomyelitis, which is transmitted in airborne droplets and through an infected person's feces, attacks the brain and spinal cord and, in severe cases, can lead to extensive paralysis or death.