Rotary International hailed the near-eradication of polio as one of the organization's most significant accomplishments in its long history.

"We began the polio eradication campaign over 30 years ago, and we began right here in the Philippines," said Rotary International President Gordon McInally during an exclusive interview with the Manila Bulletin on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

"We know that we have reached the point where around the world we have almost eliminated polio," he declared, citing a significant decline from 350,000 annual cases three decades ago to a mere 12 cases reported in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region in 2023, with “no cases” recorded globally in 2024.

This momentous achievement, McInally stressed, signifies a monumental stride towards eliminating polio, a once-deadly disease, from the face of the earth, with the Philippines catalyzing this remarkable progress.

In addition to its unwavering commitment to polio eradication, he said that Rotary International continues to make profound impacts on communities worldwide.

Free surgery for children with cleft palate

"Here in the Philippines, this year, more than 2,000 children with cleft palates will receive surgeries to correct their palates," McInally stated.

McInally highlighted the organization's initiatives in the Philippines, where over 2,000 children with cleft palates are set to receive life-changing surgeries, offering them a brighter future.

McInally recounted witnessing surgery on a four-year-old child at Delos Santos Medical Center in Quezon City, Philippines, a year ago.

He revealed that the patient was a young girl from the poorest of the poor in the Philippines who faced a congenital heart defect that threatened her life.

"But thanks to Rotary, she has been moved to have surgery and have that operation, and she is now a healthy, normal, and achieving little girl, and she is only one of the hundreds of children like her who have had similar surgeries," he noted, symbolizing the impactful work of the organization.

Moreover, as a laureate of the Rotary Foundation, McInally expressed his dedication to fostering collaboration between Rotary and global peace organizations to advance peace-building efforts worldwide.

"I believe that the great opportunity that I have by being the laureate of the Foundation is to bring the Foundation and the Rotary together to achieve more," he noted.

"I would recognize that peace starts from the ground level; it's not about stopping war but stopping war from where it starts," McInally added.

He also pointed out: "Prevention is better than cure, and the way we do that [peace] is we give people better living conditions, health care, and education, and we give people a much better standard of living so that conflict will not arise.”

Mental health advocacy

Meanwhile, emphasizing Rotary International's enduring commitment to promoting peace and well-being, McInally stressed the importance of addressing “mental health challenges,” particularly among youth, in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We also focus on mental health and well-being; we recognized having survived the Covid-19 pandemic, and there's another pandemic out there, and that is mental health," he said.

He emphasized that among those experiencing the greatest suffering are young people and children, who have been significantly impacted by ongoing challenges.

"We want to remove the stigma associated with talking about mental health, but we also want to help people access mental health treatment because it is necessary," McInally noted.

Furthermore, as Rotary International commemorates its 119th anniversary, McInally extends his heartfelt gratitude to the organization's 1.4 million members worldwide, acknowledging their invaluable contributions to Rotary's mission of service and peacebuilding.