Consider the example of the famine in Africa

Twenty years ago, a citizens movement led by Rotary International, a volunteer organization with approximately 1.2 million members in more than two hundred countries decided to act. There were more than 300,000 cases of polio by year, despite the almost total eradication of the disease in wealthy countries, where vaccination had become commonplace. Rotary has the challenge of providing vaccines to the poorest regions where public health systems are poor, or non-existent. Rotarians dreamed not only to reduce the number of polio cases, but also of eradicating the disease completely. This goal is attainable.

Instead of waiting for politicians to take up the fight against polio, Rotarians have the lead. A few years later, the World Health Organization rallied to their cause, followed by other international bodies and donor countries. The coalition of private and public organizations thus formed is now in support of the great design of Rotary. In 2006, the number of polio cases fell dramatically: there are less than 3,000 per year.

The eradication of the disease is well under way, it is still the way to go, since in recent years some countries have been affected by localized epidemics. In special cases, such as Northern Nigeria, social vaccine refusal is obstacle to adequate protection of the population. Outbreaks of polio transmission remain in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. Other countries have seen the disease reappear sporadically brought by travellers coming from regions where it has still not disappeared. In rare cases, it is the vaccine itself is at issue and which has led to contamination.

Yet, despite the difficulties to uncover cases of polio, unprecedented progress have been made. Most important, the leadership of Rotary for polio offers a more general lesson in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and disease. Even when politicians take initiatives, dedicated individuals and voluntary organizations have the possibility to change the world. The secret of the success of such an undertaking is to associate a bold idea to practical and effective techniques and then to enforce by a mass citizen action.

This lesson also applies to the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in which Governments around the world, in 2000, have pledged to tackle poverty, disease and hunger. The Millennium development goals are ambitious, but achievable. They provide, for example, to reduce by 2015 the proportion of the world's population that was suffering from chronic undernourishment in 1990, and to reduce infant mortality by three quarters. The MDGs are concerned also about mortality of mothers in layers, the lack of access to drinking water and sanitation, and deadly diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS.

Just as the fight against polio, the battle against these scourges can be conducted through concrete and effective techniques that can help families, being taken to the trap of poverty, to escape once and for all.

Consider the example of the famine in Africa. Most African farmers, who grow tiny plots of land, do not produce enough to feed their families, and still less to earn some income. The problem is that these farmers are too poor for modern base including means of production of the varieties of seed high yield, fertilizer and small-scale irrigation systems that would double or triple their food and business performance. The solution is not more complicated that a polio vaccine. If organizations like Rotary International can contribute to that African farmers has a bag of 50 kg and appropriate fertilizer 10 kg of enriched seeds, the increase in agricultural production would be sufficient to address hunger and help farm living from agricultural activity.

Such practical approaches can solve many of the fundamental problems in extreme poverty. Contamination or death by malaria may greatly reduce the drugs and the use of mosquito nets for beds. A net costs around 5 euros, lasts five years and can accommodate two children. It can therefore protect the bed of a child for only 0.50 euro per year, and if it all the same disease, medical treatment of 1 euro can cure him. However, those who most need may purchase anti-malaria medicines, because they are too poor.

The American Red Cross and other organizations fortunately followed the example of Rotary, using donations and volunteer private to fill the gap left by policy makers. At present, the Red Cross, assisted by partnerships, distributes free throughout Africa nets to poor families, in the same way that Rotary distributing vaccines against polio.

It is high time effort by the volunteer organizations to take up the MDGs, by a direct action. It is not necessary to wait for politicians to act. In a short time, the citizens of the world can make major inroads in the fight against disease, hunger and poverty. And it was then that the politicians will follow.

The key to success is to have practical mind, daring. Most important, must be that the rich give of their time and their money to provide concrete assistance that it comes in the form of seeds to high performance, fertilizers, medicines, mosquito nets, drinking water wells or materials to build schools and clinics the poorest.