Rita Henn, Simphiwe Ngwenya, Membership and a Finn.

Rita Henn of Rita Henn & Partners, Physical Rehabilitation Therapists, gave us a most interesting talk last week on what her partnership does. I'm always amazed by the patience, let alone the expertise and dedication that people who do this type of work possess.

This week it's something completely different, Simphiwe Ngwenya will talk about "Opportunities Given - Opportunities Taken". Simphiwe is a former student at McCauley House and has been on a Short Term Exchange. Eleanor will introduce her and it promises to be an interesting talk.

Two things to remember:

17,30 Friday 30th April. Membership Initiative at The SA Chefs' Association Skills Kitchen.

This has been especially organised by Graham and Allan to introduce potential members to our Club. Please ensure Graham knows that you are coming and any potential members you will be introducing.

Wednesday 30th June. Rotary Oscar Awards.

Please let Graham know about attendance as he has to book by the 7th May in order to take advantage of the early-bird rate of R185 per head.

Who is the Finn? One of my favourite tenors in the Video Bar, Jussi Bjorling.



Rotary responds to polio outbreak in Tajikistan

Rotary International and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative -- the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- are responding to a recent outbreak of wild poliovirus in Tajikistan.

Rotary is providing a total of US$500,000 in emergency grants to UNICEF and WHO for immediate polio immunization efforts throughout the country. Neighboring countries are also increasing their surveillance efforts.

Seven children in Tajikistan have been stricken with polio, the first cases of the disease reported there since 1997, and the first in the WHO European region since it was certified polio-free in 2002.

"Polio importations such as the Tajikistan cases demonstrate our global vulnerability to infectious disease," said Carol Pandak, manager of RI's PolioPlus program. "It highlights the fact that polio 'control' is not an option, and only successful eradication will stop polio in resource-poor countries."

Outbreaks of imported cases are not uncommon during eradication efforts, underscoring the critical need to stop polio transmission in the remaining endemic countries: Afghanistan -- which borders Tajikistan -- Pakistan, India, and Nigeria.

"Our experience shows that where polio transmission has been stopped before, it can be stopped again," Pandak said. "A fast, large-scale, high-quality immunization response and strong surveillance are absolutely critical."