Polio VACCINATION MISSIONS abroad are organized by the PolioPlus Society, driven first by Michel ZAFFRAN in 2024 (former Director at WHO for Polio eradication), and then, especially from 2025 onward, by Véronique THOUVENOT, then Polio Coordinator for Rotary International’s Region 14.
She felt it was essential to make concrete and « humanize » the End Polio Now program launched more than 40 years ago by Rotary and its GPEI partners.
Vaccinators returned from these missions moved and deeply affected, and even more convinced and committed to protecting children against the poliovirus, ready to share their testimonies.
For their part, local polio teams felt supported by the interest and solidarity shown to them.
She entrusted Alain Bouvard, a member of the PolioPlus Society and past Governor of District 1710, with the responsibility of organizing 2 vaccination missions in 2025 (Pakistan and Côte d’Ivoire) and 4 missions in 2026 (Pakistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Tanzania), which are increasingly popular among Rotarians from our Region 14.
These missions are, in fact, CO-organized with WHO, and represent a significant logistical team effort.
A meeting took place on June 24, 2026, between Alain Bouvard, Michel Zaffran, and several WHO officials from headquarters as well as from African countries.
This was an opportunity for a DEBRIEF ON THE POLIOPLUS CIRCLE’S VACCINATION MISSIONS in collaboration with WHO:
« The relationship between WHO and Rotary was formalized by Karim DJIBAOUI, with an operational protocol defining the objectives of the visits, the preparatory steps, and the types of activities to carry out during the visits.
In addition, biweekly video conference meetings are held to manage the selected vaccination destinations.
Lama JBARAH was then invited to each meeting to provide information on the vaccination campaign schedule.
A briefing meeting was organized with the regional office and block coordinators, with the involvement of WHO AFRO colleagues in charge of communication with PolioPlus during preparatory meetings.
The goal is for vaccination campaign participants, upon their return, to visit clubs and district meetings to share their firsthand experience.
For the first mission in 2024, led by Alain Bouvard with 19 Rotarians from District 1710 participating, Aziz MEMON and the Rotary Club of Karachi in Pakistan were our contacts in preparing the program. It was very detailed and allowed participants to be actively involved in numerous situations.
In 2025, 16 Rotarians from across Region 14 took part in the Pakistan and… Côte d’Ivoire missions, with the invaluable help of Marie-Irène Richmond, Polio Coordinator for West Africa.
In 2026, 33 Rotarians and non-Rotarians (though still PPC members) participated in the 4 vaccination campaigns in Pakistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
Access to the missions has indeed been opened to non-Rotarians under two conditions:
It is essential that participants be members of the PolioPlus Society and make a contribution to the PolioPlus Fund. This also allows for communication outside of Rotary.
Main objectives of the collaboration:
- Awareness and advocacy
- Mobilize communities and key stakeholders to raise awareness of the importance of polio vaccination
- Support vaccination programs at the local, national, and international levels.
- Strengthening fundraising for vaccination campaigns and outbreak response activities: this involves launching fundraising initiatives to support the polio eradication program with the help of the Region 14 PolioPlus Circle and Rotary volunteers, who can share the experience and knowledge gained from their participation in these vaccination activities in the field. »
Dr Évelyne MOÏSE
Rotary Pertuis - Sud Luberon
District 1760 - Responsable PolioPlus 2018-2021
Région 14 - Coordination End Polio Now - Responsable réseaux sociaux
Ingénieur diplômé en systèmes d'information
Rotary Paris Agora - Président 2022-2023 - VP 25-26
District 1660 - Past DPIC, Responsable SI
Région 14 Image Publique - Adjoint RPIC - Webmaster
Cercle PolioPlus Co-fondateur, responsable technique
