Rotary International president lauds India for eradicating polio

Hyderabad: The eradication of polio in India is one of the most significant successes in global health history, said Stephanie A. Urchick, nominee for Rotary
International President for 2024-25.

In an exclusive chat with Deccan Chronicle, Stephanie stated that Rotary
will focus on mental health, particularly in young people, in addition to
healing a divided world and striving for global peace. She praised India's
efforts to eradicate polio, saying, "I'm proud of India for eradicating
polio, and I was fortunate to be part of a mass immunisation programme that
lasted 20 years. As many as 125 million children were immunised in a single
day."

On the crisis in Ukraine following the war, she said, 'I'm horrified by the
humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, for me personally they are family
considering my background. Every day, people wake up to bombings and are
confronted with a crisis on all fronts."

Urchick emphasised Rotary's apolitical nature, saying, "Rotary is
apolitical, and we can stop the crazy man who is responsible for the crisis.
They are currently collaborating with some organisations to collect warm
clothing and heaters for the cold winter, which we do with every country,
not just Ukraine." She believes that ending war is not the same as bringing
peace; peace can be achieved when a man and a woman end arguments or
physical abuse or when a child with a full stomach, satisfied, goes to
school and is able to learn if they are not hungry. "War is started for
political reasons, and rotary looks at the big picture, and we look at
healing a divided world differently," she said.

Further, she stated that the Rotary International has a peace centre where a
training programme for young people is held as part of peace and conflict
resolution programmes. Urchick stated that they contributed $15 million to
disaster relief funds on humanitarian grounds.

She also stated that mental health is like any other disease in that people
should not judge them and that victims of mental illness should not succumb
to societal pressure. "Victims require assistance and support. We will
launch comprehensive awareness campaigns in clubs around the world, focusing
on young people who will bear the brunt of the Covid19 pandemic. They
require special attention," she said.

With the world facing incredible challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic,
disasters caused by climate change, and conflict in many regions, Urchick
believes Rotary leaders can provide a vision and a plan for overcoming these
obstacles. Because Rotary operates in over 200 countries and regions, it is
critical to recognise that the organisation has the potential to become more
efficient and effective by understanding and responding to how regional
differences affect how Rotarians work together to address providing service,
promoting integrity, and advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace,
she said. "By working together, we can make the world a more peaceful place
to live," she signed off.