Bob Scott, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee, is bullish on polio eradication.
For years, Bob Scott has been a central figure in Rotary’s effort to eradicate polio. His contributions, including eight years as chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee, have been a major factor in reducing the number of polio-endemic countries from 125 to 3. The longtime member of the Rotary Club of Cobourg, Ont., has also served as RI vice president, RI director, Rotary Foundation trustee, and Foundation trustee chair. In 2013, the father of four and grandfather of eight agreed to sit still for a party in Cobourg to mark his 80th birthday – on the condition that it also be a fundraiser for PolioPlus. The event raised more than $200,000, and from 2013 to 2018, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match polio donations two-to-one.
After years of criss-crossing the globe in pursuit of polio eradication, Scott retired in June. We talked with him about the defining moments that made the miles worth it.
Bob Scott on polio eradication from Rotary International on Vimeo.
THE ROTARIAN: The polio eradication effort has made remarkable progress. What is left to do?
SCOTT: Basically, it’s Pakistan. Nigeria is doing well. Afghanistan is doing well. India being clear [of polio] is a wonderful thing. I visited Pakistan last year. I forecast, going out on a limb, that Pakistan will soon begin to show a significant drop in cases. A huge number of children in Pakistan are being vaccinated. Experts have told me that if we can get two or three rounds [of immunizations], we will be winning the war against polio quickly.
TR: What prompted your decision to step down as PolioPlus committee chair last June?
SCOTT: I know it’s only a number, but 81 is getting on. Also, the travel is extensive. As chair, you get invited here, there, and everywhere. After eight years, I think it’s time for someone else. It’s good to change; you need new thinking. I was not bored, but I was beginning to feel bereft of new ideas.
TR: Although you are no longer chair, will you still have a role as an emeritus member of the committee?
SCOTT: Please don’t indicate that I am giving up on the eradication of polio. I am still very involved. The difference is that I don’t have to make any administrative decisions anymore. I am still giving my opinion.
TR: You had quite an 80th birthday party in Cobourg.
SCOTT: It was fantastic. I was rather against it at first, but when it was decided we could make it a fundraiser, that appealed to me. Bill Patchett, a past district governor, was the main organizer, and he went to town. It was a magnificent event. I didn’t have anything to do with it at all; I just turned up. Having the RI president and president-elect under the same roof doesn’t usually happen at birthday parties. It was a tremendous effort on everybody’s part. I felt proud and humbled that all these people came all the way to Cobourg.
TR: Looking back, what events or milestones stand out?
SCOTT: One of the first milestones was when we were told that type 2 [of the virus] had disappeared. That, to me, was a clarion call. It was such an advance that we had eradicated one. Now we are trumpeting that type 3 appears to have gone. That is terrific. On a personal level, I’m glad that India is polio-free and that I was chair at the time. I visited India more than 30 times. I worked hard with the Indian Rotarians and government officials. I was so glad to be part of that program when we had the celebration.
TR: Is it fair to say you have a strong sense of optimism?
SCOTT: You have to be optimistic. It’s a bullish situation. In 1988, there were 1,000 cases a day, in 125 countries. Now we’re down to a few hundred cases total. You have to feel good about that.
TR: What else would you like to tell Rotarians?
SCOTT: I couldn’t have done this without the support of my wife, Ann. She has come every step of the way with me. Also, I had great help from the staff in Evanston. Carol Pandak and her PolioPlus group are absolutely terrific. I believe, and I hope they believe, that we worked very well together.