Rotarians Peter Teahen and PDG John Ockenfels from Ohio, Unites States, while on the world tour to create awareness about Polio eradication, were in city on Saturday. The pilot duo provided valuable insights and updates regarding their initiative ‘Around The World: Flight To End Polio’. The two cousins took off from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States on May 5. During their world tour, they would cover 21 countries in 90 days, and complete their sojourn on July 30. The Rotarians are not only bearing entire cost of the entire journey in their own aircraft, but also taking time off their careers to raise awareness about eradicating Polio from the face of earth. Currently, Polio cases are found in only two countries -- Afghanistan and Pakistan, which were their previous stops before landing in India. However, it remains a threat until the entire world is Polio-free. Addressing a press conference at a city hotel on Saturday, Rotarian Peter Teahen, said, “I don’t just hope but I have firm belief that Polio will end from the face of earth. It will not be too late from now”.

 

Ockenfels last visited India in 2002 to be a part of Polio Eradication Summit 2002, held in Mumbai. He said, he felt happy about his own incorrect perception about Polio awareness in children of today. During his visit to a country he realised that children’s understanding of Polio is based on what happened in the past because they are not experiencing it around them, which is a good sign. On taking up the world tour for the cause in a single engine aircraft, he said, so far, only 700 pilots have ever achieved this feat, and less than 270 are alive today.

 

Both the cousins are working hard to create awareness and raise funds through donations. They have with them the support of ‘The Gates Foundation’, who will generously match all donations in the ratio of 2 to 1. Teahen said, a child needs to get vaccinated before attaining five years of age. The virus enters a body through oral contamination and the effects on body are irreversible. In India, the Polio vaccination is provided by the Government with logistic support from the Rotarians, as required. India is free from Polio for almost last 10 years, the last such case was found in year 2014. One can visit FlightToEndPolio.com to know more about the efforts they are making for the cause. PDG Dr Rajan, Rajinder Khurana (Past President, Rotary) and Tarun Patel also were present at the press conference.