Page 2 - D3502 2018-19 November No.5

社長文告 成為勵志領導者

親愛的扶輪社友，
每個星期四早上，我會收到世界衛生組織的電子郵件，附上根除小兒痲痹工作的最新進
Dear fellow Rotarians,
展。這封信包含大量豐富的資訊，依國家呈現：免疫活動進行的地方及方式、有幾百萬名兒
Every Thursday morning, I receive an email from the World Health Organization with an update on
童服用疫苗，以及環境監視在哪裡找到病毒傳播的證據。可是每個星期，當這封電子郵件出
the status of polio eradication. It contains a wealth of information, country by country: where and how
現在我的收件匣，我的心臟似乎都會停頓一下，直到我讀了前幾行，並得知那個星期是否有
immunization campaigns are being conducted, how many millions of children are being vaccinated,
孩童因小兒痲痹病毒而癱瘓後為止。
and where environmental surveillance has found evidence of circulating virus. But every week, when
各位朋友，那是我們今天根除小兒痲痹工作所面臨的局面。我開啟那封信心裡的疑問不
that email appears in my inbox, my heart seems to stop for just a moment until I read the first few lines –
是我們一年可能看到幾千件病例──像我們不久前還面對的──還是幾百件。相反地，當每星
and learn whether a child was paralyzed by wild poliovirus that week.
期四收到那封世界衛生組織的電子郵件，它所回答的是一個兩選一的問題：這個星期有新病
That, my friends, is where we are today in the work of polio eradication. The question on my mind
例，還是沒有？
as I open that message isn’t how many thousands of cases we might see in a year, as we did not too long
ago, or even how many hundreds. Instead, when that WHO email arrives every Thursday, the single,
30 年前，每一天都有 1,000 個孩童因小兒痲痹而殘障。從那時候起，我們每一年、每
binary question it answers is: Was there a new case this week, or wasn’t there?
一週，都慢慢在進展。我們在一個又一個國家，一個又一個地域，慶祝宣佈達到沒有小兒痲
Thirty years ago, 1,000 children were paralyzed by polio every single day. Since then, we’ve marked
痹。當我們愈來愈接近我們的目標，病例的數目逐漸下滑，那些數字所反映出的孩童便變得
our progress, year by year, week by week. We’ve celebrated as country after country, region after region
越來越不是抽象的概念。當我開啟那封星期四的電子郵件，我不會想我會看到什麼數字。我
has been declared polio-free. As we’ve come closer and closer to our goal, and the number of cases has
會想這個星期有沒有孩子染病癱瘓？
dropped further and further, the children those numbers reflect have become less and less of an abstrac-
我們離根除小兒痲痹是這麼接近──可是還有許多工作尚待完成。
tion. When I open that Thursday email, I don’t wonder what number I’ll see. I wonder, was a child
這個月，我請每個扶輪社在 10 月 24 日紀念世界小兒痲痹日，來協助「現在終結小兒痲
paralyzed this week or not?
We are so close to eradication – but there is so much work left to do.
痹」這個活動。去年，全球各地有數千個扶輪社舉辦活動來提升對根除小兒痲痹的認識並募
This month, I ask every Rotary club to help End Polio Now by marking World Polio Day on 24 October.
款。今年，我們想要看到登錄的世界小兒痲痹日活動數目能超過以往。如果你有規劃活動，
Last year, thousands of Rotary clubs around the world held events to raise awareness and funds for
務必到 endpolio.org 登錄並推廣，讓更多人能夠參與。如果你還沒有規劃，也不算太遲──到
polio eradication. This year, we want to see more World Polio Day events registered than ever. If you
endpolio.org尋找構想、有關今年的直播平台的訊息，以及可以協助貴社籌劃成功活動的資源。
have an event planned, be sure to register and promote it at endpolio.org so that more people can take
世界小兒痲痹日是個大好機會，讓扶輪社在社區凸顯扶輪以及我們根除小兒痲痹的重大
part. If you haven’t planned one yet, it’s not too late – visit endpolio.org to find ideas, information on
努力。利用蓋茲基金會的挑戰也是不錯的方式：扶輪為根除小兒痲痹募集的每一塊錢，蓋茲
this year’s livestream, and resources to help your club organize a successful event.
基金會都會捐贈出兩倍的金額。請和我與世界各地的扶輪社員一起，在 10 月 24 日的世界小兒
World Polio Day is a tremendous opportunity for clubs to highlight Rotary, and our historic work to
痲痹日──成為沒有小兒痲痹世界的勵志領導者。
eradicate polio, in their own communities. It is also a great way to take advantage of the challenge from
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: For every dollar that Rotary raises for polio eradication, the Gates
Foundation will give two more. Join me, and Rotarians everywhere, on 24 October for World Polio Day –
and Be the Inspiration for a polio-free world.

BARRY RASSIN 巴利‧拉辛
國際扶輪社長

BARRY RASSIN
臺灣扶輪 2018.10 5
President, Rotary International
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