Disease prevention and treatment

Disease prevention and treatment is one of the most important and far-reaching areas of focus for Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it reflects Rotary's fundamental belief that good health is a basic human right and an essential precondition for peaceful and prosperous communities.

Vision and goals

Rotary's goal in this area is clear: to enable members to prevent and treat disease, supporting people's health through programmes that limit the spread of communicable disease, reduce the incidence and effects of chronic illness, and strengthen health infrastructure as a whole.

• Improving the capacity of local health workers through training, scholarships and equipment
• Promoting prevention and treatment programmes for communicable and non-communicable disease
• Strengthening health systems — building and equipping clinics, training centres and diagnostic facilities
• Providing clinical treatment and rehabilitation: free check-ups, cataract surgery, wheelchairs, dental care

Global impact: the fight against polio

The most prominent example of Rotary's work is the global initiative to eradicate polio. Since the PolioPlus programme was launched in 1985, Rotary has played a key role in reducing cases of wild poliovirus by 99.9% worldwide.

This success was achieved in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Rotarians have donated more than 2.4 billion dollars and countless volunteer hours to immunise over 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.

Projects around the world

• HIV/AIDS and malaria: health camps, mosquito nets, testing and prenatal care
• Chronic non-communicable disease: diabetes education, screening, mental health awareness
• Access to clean water and sanitation as direct disease prevention
• Health education, temporary clinics, blood donation centres and medical equipment

Collaboration and sustainability

Projects are designed to be sustainable — planned together with local participants so the community can maintain them after Rotary funding ends. The Rotary Foundation provides Global Grants that fund long-term, measurable projects.