The Little Engine That Could

The uphill battle has been won, now we begin to roll over the top of the mountain and cascade down the other side. The number of lives lost already is incomprehensible, and even more incredible is the number of lives that can be saved in the next 5-10 years. Join us in this history-making effort.

Child survival began with Rotary addressing Polio throughout the world. They created a model for mass immunization that the Red Cross continued with the Measles Initiative. Already millions of children have been spared from Polio and Measles.

There are many solutions and much to be hopeful about. The inputs described here create virtuous cycles. The virtuous cycles may be strong enough to break the vicious cycles currently at work. We hope you become part of the solution. Our combined strengths can solve many of the problems of the world.

How? Expanding the Rotary Model to include non-vaccine goods sets the stage for other treatments. As the systems get built up through each rollout of vaccines and non-vaccines, the platform for child survival strengthens. Already other inputs help. While vaccinating for Measles, the Red Cross also distibutes deworming medicine and Vitamin A. The next round adds nets. Strong drops in diseases and building the local health care system leads to local empowerment. To aid local empowerment, see the leave behinds for child survival. Next steps: Rotavirus, Rubella (vaccines for various subtypes of developing countries under development), Pneumonia (Pneumococcus) vaccines exist (vaccines for various subtypes of developing countries under development). The more inputs in each carry the more the cost of distribution for each goes down. And preventative measures like IMCI cost less than 80 cents per child yet yield huge benefits.

last updated 25 May 2006