More women die from cervical cancer in Pacific Island countries than in New Zealand or Australia and, in parts of the Pacific, nearly 1 in 18 children die before their 5th birthday from vaccine preventable diseases. We’re going to stop that!
To celebrate 100 years of Rotary in Australia and New Zealand, we’ve teamed up with UNICEF to give life-saving vaccines to 100,000 children across the Pacific. Rotary Give Every Child A Future is a sustainable project that will ensure generations of children and women are protected against cervical cancer, rotavirus and pneumococcal disease.
Despite improvements in vaccines programs, the poorest and hardest to reach children are still being left behind.
Diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea remain leading killers of children under five years and high rates of life-threatening cervical cancer continue to devastate Pacific Island families.
Poor health systems, limited government resources, environmental challenges and families living in difficult to reach areas mean children are missing out on life-saving vaccines.
To protect 100,000 children from rotavirus, pneumococcal disease and cervical cancer, across nine Pacific Island Countries: Nauru, Tuvalu, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Niue, Cook Islands, Kiribati and Tokelau over three years:
To strengthen the immunisation programs in each country so that these vaccines continue to be delivered to future generations of children.
In partnership with UNICEF, Rotary will develop and implement immunisation programs that will deliver three vaccines to children across nine Pacific Island countries. Working with these countries governments we will ensure the programs are sustainable, protecting families for generations to come.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced in November 2018 that it would provide financing to the governments of Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to introduce these three vaccines. Independently Rotary will fund some regional and other supporting activities in those four countries. It will also fully fund a similar program in the other five countries independently of ADB.
In 2021 Rotary International in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific will be 100 years old following the establishment in 1921 of Rotary Clubs in Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and Wellington. The Rotary Give Every Child A Future project will celebrate 100 years of service to communities across Australasia and demonstrate that Rotary remains relevant in today’s world.
While there are several centenary projects this is the one project that covers all of Australasia and every Rotary club is encouraged to participate.
UNICEF are global experts when it comes to humanitarian aid and implementing vaccine programs across diverse communities. Rotary Australasia is proud to partner with them on Rotary Give Every Child A Future. Their contribution will ensure this project is cost effective, efficient and sustained long into the future.
You can make a world of difference!
