The global polio battle recently received a huge infusion of new energy and funding. On January 21st, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a grant of $255 million to Rotary International to continue the polio battle. That follows an earlier grant to Rotary of $100 million in November of 2007. Since 1985, Rotary’s primary mission has been to see a world that is polio free. To date, Rotarians have contributed more than 800 million dollars and countless volunteer hours to the cause. In addition, every year, hundreds of club members travel at their own expense to help out in polio-afflicted countries. That is Anil Garg’s mission in coming to his homeland, in particular the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. The area sees more polio cases every year than any other spot in the world. But it’s not for lack of effort. Committed to reaching every child under age 5, thousands of vaccination teams today will spend long hours going door to door. In one day, a single team will cover 100 homes and give drops to 300 children. Today, we hope to assist them in some small way. Unfortunately, comrade Lee Harman is dealing with a nasty case of so-called “Delhi Belly” and will have to take it easy today. The videographer and myself strike out with Garg.

Early on, we meet resistance. Background: In years past, a large number of parents have refused to allow their kids to be vaccinated. It happens predominantly in Muslim neighborhoods. The reasons for refusal are numerous. Some parents fear it’s a plot to sterilize children. Others promise to cooperate only if they receive more government aid. The rate of refusal in India, however, has steadily declined in recent years. So back to our story. A man at the door refuses to let a youngster inside be vaccinated, claiming the child is sick. The man says he believes the drops will make the illness worse. Despite pleas from seasoned health care workers, he will not acquiesce. We take our leave but that won’t be the end of it. In a day or so, community mobilizers and others will return, urging him to comply. Almost without exception, the persistent vaccinators win.

Driving further into the countryside, a weird mirage takes shape on the distant horizon. Am I just tired or is that a Ferris wheel I see? Yes, there, coming into focus in the middle of nowhere is a huge fair. Turns out it’s a month-long Muslim festival with food, toy vendors, jewelry kiosks, crafts, carnival rides, games and more. Guess who else is here? Polio vaccinators! Several of them police the entrance while ten other teams roam the fairgrounds. No child under 5 will escape! At one point, the religious leaders kindly invite us to the mosque where we drape a tinseled scarf on the bier of a deceased saint. I have no idea what I’m doing but appreciate the gentle hand bestowing a blessing on my head.

Our final stop turns out to be the most significant experience of the campaign. Rumbling down a narrow dirt road we arrive at the remote village of Sohi. It’s a picturesque setting, a mixed village of both Hindu and Muslim faiths. We have come to see a tiny polio victim named Minakshi who contracted the virus 6 months ago. The girl’s weathered and nearly toothless grandmother brings her to us. The grandmother demonstrates how the child’s flaccid arm drops uselessly by her side. The little girl is 18 months old and remarkably tolerant of our intrusion in her life. The grandmother then makes a heartbreaking plea. In Hindi, she asks Anil if he might be able to get some medicine that could help fix her tiny granddaughter. I ask Anil what she is asking for. Anil translates, then looks at me sadly and murmurs, “it’s too late.” There is no cure for polio, just a vaccine to prevent it.

India has made tremendous and heroic strides to try to reach every child, but occasionally one slips through the cracks, or in some cases, the child will still develop polio despite several doses. Health experts aren’t exactly sure why that happens but it most likely has something to do with some or all of these problems: poor nutrition, bad water, and compromised immune systems. These impoverished children are already carrying a heavy load of other bugs in their gut. But even one child getting polio is too many. The numbers on a graph now have a very real face attached to them, and her name is Minakshi.