2. Abstract
The Rotaract club at Hofstra University is part of Rotary International. Rotary
International consists of multiple local rotary clubs that sponsor individual Rotaract clubs at
universities. Rotaract club involves students in health-oriented projects that help a community or
population that need help. Polio was a serious issue that affected many children around the
world. Vaccines were created and distributed evenly among first world countries, which is why
the United States of America has completed eradicated polio. Poliomyelitis is a disease-causing
virus that is highly communicable. It directly attacks nerves and can lead to partial paralysis, full
paralysis, or death. Since the virus is easily transmitted, it spreads rapidly in third world
countries due to the poor sewage systems, infiltrated waters, and poor sanitary habits. The risks
affiliated with poliomyelitis are that many victims are not immunized because of location and
financial situations. As of 2013, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia,
and Niger there have had cases of polio. As are many countries, Nigeria has been continuously
plagued with polio and it has never been fully eradicated because of the lack of government
involvement and financial support. By preparing a grant proposal for polio eradication in
Nigeria, it would help children and adults live healthy lives as well as save lives.
3. List of Funding Sources with Rationale
Funding Sources: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Gift of Life Foundation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Gift of Life Foundation have previously
funded many projects within the field of my topic. Each foundation has previously funded
projects for the Rotaract club, and with the assistance of one of the members I have been able to
receive a personal contact for the Gift of Life Foundation. There are other foundations that I have
found that have similar qualities to the previous foundations and have an affiliation with the
Rotaract club. However, the Gift of Life Foundation is the source that I will be trying to focus
on.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation believe in creating an organization that is well-
funded to help as many people as possible lead healthy and happy lives. Their main goal is to
improve worldwide healthcare and decrease the poverty rate. The worldwide approach to
bettering overall healthcare has been increasingly successful with projects that the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation have participated in. They are completely forthright and genuinely
believe in funding projects that have full potential of being successful. Measuring success is
completed by the amount of people that have been help and whose lives have been changed in a
positive direction.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have accepted grant proposals from the Rotaract
Club which have been successfully completed. There has been approximately a 28.3 billion
donation in 2013 to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. There is a sector of specialization
known as the Global Health initiatives which primarily deal with the overall health of
4. populations that are exposed to specific infectious diseases. The Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation is the perfect funding source to apply for the polio eradication grant proposal. The
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on the overall health of the world and trying different
approaches to reach the goal of eradicating and preventing epidemics and endemics.
5. Specific Aims
The specific aims of this polio eradication project are numerous but are primarily based
upon completely eradicating polio in Nigeria. It is a fact that by receiving the full vaccinations
for polio that a person will become immune to the disease. The specific aims will concentrate on
being able to administer and fully immunize a person against polio.
• Develop strong bond with Rotaract Club in Nigeria.
• Gain the trust of the Nigerians.
• Breach cultural barriers to educate about polio.
• Reduce the transmission of poliomyelitis by lecturing about sanitary habits.
• Be able to reach all at-risk victims and gain their trust.
• Reaching all victims that are at-risk for contracting polio will be dependent upon
understanding the language and understanding what is the overall health each community
within Nigeria.
• Vaccinating ALL of the potential victims.
The most specific aims that we are planning to accomplish are breaching cultural barriers
to inform and educate the Nigerians about decreasing their chances of contracting polio.
The other very important aim is to vaccinate all potential victims that are at-risk for
contracting polio.
6. Background and Rationale for Program
The Rotaract Club, or Rotary International, is a worldwide based organization that
participates in projects that are based upon helping those in need. The Rotaract Club has been
around for decades and has performed many projects that have provided many people with better
lives in regards to health and education. The Rotaract Club at Hofstra University has
continuously participated on yearly projects such as Hurricane Sandy relief, creating programs
for women in different countries to go to school, creating programs that deal with animal cruelty,
among many other programs and interventions. The Rotaract Club consists of members that are
dedicated to changing the lives of those that are less fortunate.
Polio continues to plague many parts of the world such as Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Niger. However, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan
remain polio endemic which put these countries at high risk. Polio is a highly communicable
disease and has devastated the lives of many. Polio leads to severe paralysis, respiratory issues,
and sometimes even death. The after effects of polio last a lifetime and leave majority of the
victims crippled. This affects them physically and mentally because they will never be able to
live their lives independently.
Since there is a Rotaract Club in Africa, it would be possible to reach out to them and
collaborate in this polio eradication project. With the help of the Rotaract Club in Africa we will
be able to breach cultural barriers such as language, culture, and location. This will also help us
reach the primary targets which are at-risk victims whom are young children. The Rotaract Club
at Hofstra University is a willing organization that will collaborate and reach out to Rotaract
International in Africa.
7. The way in which the project has been constructed is to spread educational awareness and
vaccinations to the population affected. The vaccinations would be administered by trained
professionals and volunteers would be able to aid in the process. However, educational
awareness is primarily based on sanitary behavior but the most effective way to prevent polio is
to become vaccinated. By breaching cultural barriers, parents will be more inclined to have their
children vaccinated.
The main goal of this polio eradication project is to help prevent people from contracting
poliomyelitis which will result in polio. Realistically, everyone that will be at-risk for contracting
the disease might not be able to be vaccinated but ring vaccinations might be a preventive
measure that could yield positive effects. Also, the lives of those that will be vaccinated will be
changed forever because of their ability to remain independent. As for the children, they will
have the opportunity to experience all of the benefits that life has to offer without experiencing
the traumatic physical and mental effects of polio.
8. Summary of Program/Narrative
Statement of Need
Polio or poliomyelitis is a highly communicable disease that leads to a viral infection
with lifetime effects. The effects of the polio virus are shortness of breath, severe paralysis, and
even death. Polio is a severe disease that has plagued the lives of many children and adults. Polio
inhibits mobility and causes paralysis which in turn prevents normal daily functions in life.
Children will never be able to experience a normal life filled with activity and independence.
Adults will become depressed and unmotivated because they will no longer be independent. An
individual with paralysis becomes primarily dependent upon those around them for assistance. In
third world countries, it will be more difficult for children to attend school and get the personal
attention and care that they require. Since polio is a highly communicable disease it spreads
rapidly throughout populations with detrimental effects. The virus spreads through the fecal-oral
route via contaminated food and water, and it also spreads with contaminated or infected feces.
In countries such as Nigeria there has been an increase in development and infrastructure within
the city. However, there are many parts of the country that are not developed and are in highly
unsanitary conditions which enable the virus to spread rapidly. The more leakage, waste, and
soiled environment the more sustainable the disease and concentrated. The highly communicable
disease continuously spreads within a population because there are no preventative measures
such as sanitary conditions, vaccinations, or proper medication. There are also costly medicines
that are manufactured to con people whom are afflicted with the disease. These generic
companies manipulate the victims and scam them which are highly unethical and require
immediate attention. People that are struggling to care for their families are being hurt
economically as well as physically because they are using mock treatments and continuously
9. getting sick. Nigeria is constantly dealing with endemics throughout different parts of the
country because of the spread of the disease. The government does not address polio because
there is no financial support. Children are being continuously victimized by the disease because
they live in shanty towns that have poor sanitary conditions. Innocently, people are contracting
the disease because they cannot afford to move to other areas that are less inclined for a polio
endemic to occur. Sharing vaccinations throughout these areas will be a life-changing event that
will help many children and adults to follow their dreams and have an independent life. The way
in which the project has been constructed is to spread educational awareness and vaccinations to
the populations affected. The vaccinations would be administered by trained professionals and
volunteers would be able to aid in the process. However, educational awareness would be
primarily based on sanitary behavior but the most effective way to prevent polio is to become
vaccinated. By breaching cultural barriers, parents will be more inclined to have their children
vaccinated. In the United States of America, every baby that is born receives multiple
vaccinations against diseases that would have harmful effects on their lives. A polio vaccination
is among these vaccines and there is absolutely no chance for a child to contract polio in
America. Then there are those children that are in countries that have polio circulating
throughout the population and do not receive a single vaccination for anything. In 2013, there
were two children identified in Africa to have paralysis which was caused by polio. One child
was in the southern part of Somalia, and the other child was in a Kenya camp. There was an
outbreak in Nigeria from 2002 to 2005 and it spread to 21 countries because it was an
uncontrollable outbreak. The virus spread too many victims, and approximately paralyzed 1,000
victims. The virus has been currently found in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and in Egypt
because of that uncontrollable outbreak. The virus has never been completely vaccinated in
10. Nigeria and it continues to progress within the country. The manner in which the World Health
Organization has planned to eradicate polio has been quite effective. However, there are certain
parts of Africa that there are traces of polio that are unidentifiable because of location. The cases
in the more desolate and outlier parts of Africa are not reported and it is impossible to vaccinate
those victims that are at risk for contracting polio. One of the most critical parts of this polio
eradication project is breaching cultural barriers and forming alliances. When being able to fully
communicate with communities we will be able to know who are being afflicted with polio and
specifically which locations. By providing these vaccinations, there will be a new sense of hope
that has never existed for children and adults in areas that are polio endemic. They will finally
have the opportunity to fulfill all goals and dreams that they have created for themselves without
the worry that one day everything might change and that they would no longer be independent.
Goals and Objectives:
Goals
• Vaccinate all individuals that are at-risk for being infected with polio.
• Rid Nigeria of polio.
• Gain trust and breach cultural barriers with the Nigerians so that we will be able to
communicate with them in the most effective way possible.
• Educate parents about the necessity of having sanitary behaviors that will prevent the
spread of the polio virus.
• Educate parents about how important it is for their children to receive polio vaccinations.
11. The main goal is to identify the locations where polio is most prevalent, by targeting
these areas Nigeria can be completely polio free.
Objectives
• Organize a group of volunteers and licensed medical practitioners that will be going to
Africa to organize and administer the vaccinations.
• Develop a strong relationship with the Rotaract Club in Africa.
• Plan and complete weekly routes that will enable us to vaccinate groups that is
susceptible to polio.
• Vaccinate all potential victims that are at-risk for contracting polio.
Program Plan
• Form a group of volunteers that will participate in the program and travel to Africa.
• The group will consist of student volunteers and members of the Rotaract Club.
• Form a group of medical practitioners that are licensed and can administer vaccines.
• Form a partnership with the Rotaract Club in Africa, and gain their support for the
program.
• Learn about Nigerian culture and habits that will enable us to gain trust.
• Purchase certified polio vaccines.
• Book planes tickets accordingly.
12. • Booking of proper accommodations and transportation in Africa.
• With the help of Rotary International in Africa, the areas that have a prevalence rate of
polio will be identified.
• According to distance, we will travel to each part that has polio within circulation and
administer the vaccines.
Partnerships
The partnerships that I would like to develop are with the faculty members and my fellow
peers that would like to participate in the program with me. Development of valuable
partnerships will be made with the licensed medical practitioners that will be partaking in the
program. A strong partnership that we will develop will be with the Rotary International in
Africa so that we can collaborate and make the project help more people. Partnerships will
provide a reliable alliance with a group of people that will all strive for the same goals. Rotary
International in Africa will provide all of the necessary information that will enable us to breach
cultural barriers and know exactly what locations are at-risk for polio endemics to occur. The
most important partnership that is a complete necessity it with the Nigerians because those are
the people whose lives I am that this project will change forever in a positive way. By
developing these partnerships, the fight for eradication of polio in Nigeria will become much
stronger and yield positive results that will be life-changing.
13. Timeline
• January 2014: Begin recruiting volunteers such as members of the Rotaract Club,
students, and faculty members. Form alliance with the Rotaract International Club in
Africa, and gain their support for the program.
• February 2014: Recruit medical practitioners that are licensed and able to administer
polio vaccines.
• February 2014-March 2014: There will be cultural awareness classes that will teach all
participants in the program the cultural values, beliefs, and habits of Nigerians. Prepare
and study the educational awareness programs that will be taught.
• March 2014: Purchase polio vaccines, book plane tickets, book accommodations, and
transportation.
• April 2014 – May 2014: Finalize all preparations and plan out the amount of vaccines
that can be distributed according to the amount of people that have been affected with
polio. Plan route that will be taken according to the places that will be vaccinated. We
will prepare presentations and pamphlets that will teach how to prevent the contraction of
polio and show the severity of the disease.
• June 2014 – July 2014 – August 2014: The program will be occurring in Africa during
the summer because students and faculty members will be more inclined to participate.
The program duration will occur for three months. Throughout these three months all of
the areas that have had traces of polio will targeted and vaccinated.
14. • Throughout the next five to ten years there will be statistical analysis recorded to measure
the reduction rate of polio in Nigeria.
15. Evaluation Plan
The plan for evaluation will measure the success of the polio eradication plan. The main
goal is to completely eradicate polio in Nigeria. Due to the lack of vaccinations and medical
attention that the children and adults receive because of economics and government affairs of
Nigeria, there has been a never ending plague of polio. It has never been completely eradicated
and continues to infect and destroy the lives of many victims in Nigeria. The plan of evaluation
that will determine how successful this plan is will be the number of vaccinations that have
been administered. The more people that receive the vaccinations the more effective the plan
will be because they will definitely reduce the rate of polio. However, the plan can truly be
measured through statistical analysis of the amount of victims that have had polio from June of
2003 to June of 2013, and compare it the rate of people that have had polio from June 2013 to
June 2023. On a long term basis, the evaluation of the plan will be measured by the percentage of
reduction in polio cases. The polio eradication project aims to complete eradicate the infectious
disease; therefore the success of the project will be measured by a zero prevalence rate after a
five to ten year observation period. Therefore, an immediate plan of evaluation will be the
amount of vaccines that have been administered to people in Nigeria.
16. Statement of Human Subjects Protection
Human Subjects Protection is extremely important for the people that are receiving the
vaccinations, the medical practitioners that are administering the vaccinations, and the volunteers
that are aiding in the administration of vaccines and spreading educational awareness. Everyone
is equally important in this polio eradication project because there are many threats those pose a
risk to the well-being of everyone involved. First of all, there will be proper documentation that
gives us the right and welcome to administer vaccinations in Nigeria. The medical company that
will be supplying us with the vaccines and supplies will be properly certified and all
documentation will be available as needed. The life of anyone involved in this project will be
properly cared for. There have been cases where the Taliban and other groups in countries such
as Nigeria are against vaccine workers and seek to hurt them. If there are groups such as these
that will pose a threat against the well fair of vaccine workers then the project will be stopped
and an agreement will be made. There have been issues such as these that have been addressed
and agreements with certain groups that have been made and honored. This polio eradication
project is purely for the well-being of people that have the potential to contract polio and stop the
spread of the disease.
17. Budget and Budget Narrative
Budget
Trained Professionals to Administer Vaccinations:
Approximately 50
Each person will be paid $ 5,000.00 (not including hotel, transportation, and other costs.)
$250,000.00
Volunteers:
Approximately 100
Volunteers will not be paid.
Other Costs:
Hotel Expenses, Flight Costs, Food Costs.
Hotel, Flight, and Food Costs are $6,000.00 per person for three months.
$900,000.00 for the group.
Vaccination Costs:
The cost for a vaccine is $0.10.
The cost for 1,000,000 vaccines is $100,000.00.
Since there is a need for three vaccines and a booster the total cost of the vaccines will be
$400,000.000.
18. Other medical supplies such as disinfectants, cotton swabs, bandages, and etc…
Costs: $100,000.00
The total cost for the project would be $1,650,000.00
There are approximately 168.8 million people in Nigeria. Since polio is still is existent
within the country, everyone is at risk and a severe epidemic could occur. The amount of the
people affected is unknown. Since there is just a large population that that has the potential to
become infected with polio the most effective way to eradicate polio would be to administer as
many people as possible that are in polio endemic areas. The manner in which we will be able to
identify which areas are polio endemic will be dependent on hospital reports, breaching cultural
barriers, and communicating with the locals. Communication will be the key to localizing the
areas that are most susceptible to becoming polio endemic and those areas that are already
plagued with polio. The budget will provide the volunteers and medical practitioners with
sufficient facilities and needs that they will require. The budget also includes all medical supplies
that will be needed including vaccinations and supplies. The total cost represents everything that
will be needed to complete a polio eradication project. However, there is excess that is being
required because of the conditions that might not have been accounted for. If there is a
possibility that more vaccinations can be distributed within the time period then the excess
money will be used to purchase them. The excess money will also be used for medical supplies
and in the event that there is a medical emergency. The budget is a rough estimation of all costs
because throughout the project there will be a lot of travelling and the places that will serve as
shelter can be various prices. The budget will fluctuate and the resources and amount of people
participating will be dependent upon the actual grant approval amount.
19. Plan of Sustainability
Polio is a severely harmful disease that can lead to severe paralysis and death. By
administering polio vaccines that consist of three doses and a booster shot, the prevalence rate of
polio in Nigeria should diminish. With the continuous support and collaboration of the Rotary
Club in Nigeria, we will be able to appropriately target the groups that need attention. The main
focus groups will be the populations that are most susceptible to contracting the disease. The
volunteers will be able to organize and set up the facility and environment that the vaccines will
be administered. There will also be some volunteers that will be educating the parents and
children of the chosen group. The education awareness program is detrimental to the success of
eradicating polio. People that are at risk for getting polio and live in areas that make them more
susceptible to contracting it, it is extremely important that they learn the preventative measures
that are necessary in decreasing their chance of getting polio. Areas that are impoverished are
more inclined to have polio circulating because the disease thrives in unsanitary conditions. As
we continue traveling to different places the same procedure will be practiced and customs will
be adjusted to the match that of the group that will be working with. Since the project is
approximately occurring for three months, the remaining vaccines and boosters will be left for
the Rotary Club in Nigeria to continuously administer the vaccinations. With the continuation of
administering the vaccines, the polio eradication project will continue to thrive. The alliance with
the Rotary Club in Nigeria will be very helpful in the eradication process because in the future
we could collaborate. The collaboration could lead to the accurate statistics of the reducing rate
of polio as well as the continuous educational awareness programs that stop the spread of polio if
it is still prevalent.
20. Proof of Capacity
The budget and budget narrative includes all of the supplies and financial requirements
that will be needed to fully implement the polio eradication project. The polio eradication project
is aimed at vaccinating one million people that are at-risk for becoming infected with polio. The
supplies and preparations are tailored to be administered to one million patients. The main target
of the polio eradication project is to administer the vaccinations to children. Children are the
most vulnerable to the disease because of their close contact with other children and their weaker
immune systems. The groups that we will receive the vaccinations will be ranked by children,
teenagers, and then adults because of age and susceptibility to the disease. Since the project is
mostly aimed at vaccinating particular groups, the actual amount of people at risk for polio will
be unknown. We will continuously administer vaccinations and educational awareness until we
have diminished supply. The polio eradication project will be effective because the medical
resources that are needed will be bountiful and the assistance required helping fulfill the goals
that we hope to achieve. The medical practitioners and volunteers will be fully trained and well
prepared to understand what the polio eradication project consists of. People that are completely
committed and are able to complete the project will be efficiently chosen to participate. All
members of the group will be able to change the lives of many people because of their choice to
dedicate their time, effort, and talents to completely eradicating polio in Nigeria. Each
vaccination and medical supply will be used properly and efficiently to ensure the welfare of all
patients. The proof of capacity can be measured through the budget and the timeline that has
been created because the project will be completed accordingly.
21. Conclusion
The eradication of polio in any country that is still affected by the disease is a life
changing event for the people within that country. The polio eradication that project that I have
focused on is to primarily save the lives of many people that are helpless. In Nigeria, the
bacterium known as poliomyelitis are still existent and thrives in unsanitary conditions that exist
throughout the country. Children and adults that become infected with the disease are paralyzed
and completely lose all sense of independence. They will never be able to lead normal lives and
achieve the goals that they have created for themselves. The polio eradication project consists of
elements that I believe could completely eradicate polio in Nigeria. There are many faucets of
culture and practicality that will lead to the success of this project. However, I believe that by
finding and vaccinating all areas that are threatened by polio will provide the most efficient
results because it will no longer be existent. Breaching cultural barriers is another element of
polio eradication that plays a major role in the success of the project. I believe that everyone
deserves the right to become vaccinated against polio because it has become so common among
first world countries. People in third world countries that face the risk of becoming infected with
polio on a daily basis require the right to become vaccinated and live their lives. Polio
eradication in Nigeria will be a life changing event that will impact every person that is in
participating in the project as well as those whom are receiving vaccinations and educational
awareness.
