Priyanka Singh Polio Eradication Grant Proposal

Eradication of Polio in Nigeria

Grant Proposal

Priyanka Singh

Abstract

The Rotaract club at Hofstra University is part of Rotary International. Rotary

International consists of multiple local rotary clubs that sponsor individual Rotaract clubs at

universities. Rotaract club involves students in health-oriented projects that help a community or

population that need help. Polio was a serious issue that affected many children around the

world. Vaccines were created and distributed evenly among first world countries, which is why

the United States of America has completed eradicated polio. Poliomyelitis is a disease-causing

virus that is highly communicable. It directly attacks nerves and can lead to partial paralysis, full

paralysis, or death. Since the virus is easily transmitted, it spreads rapidly in third world

countries due to the poor sewage systems, infiltrated waters, and poor sanitary habits. The risks

affiliated with poliomyelitis are that many victims are not immunized because of location and

financial situations. As of 2013, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia,

and Niger there have had cases of polio. As are many countries, Nigeria has been continuously

plagued with polio and it has never been fully eradicated because of the lack of government

involvement and financial support. By preparing a grant proposal for polio eradication in

Nigeria, it would help children and adults live healthy lives as well as save lives.

List of Funding Sources with Rationale

Funding Sources: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The Gift of Life Foundation

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Gift of Life Foundation have previously

funded many projects within the field of my topic. Each foundation has previously funded

projects for the Rotaract club, and with the assistance of one of the members I have been able to

receive a personal contact for the Gift of Life Foundation. There are other foundations that I have

found that have similar qualities to the previous foundations and have an affiliation with the

Rotaract club. However, the Gift of Life Foundation is the source that I will be trying to focus

on.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation believe in creating an organization that is well-

funded to help as many people as possible lead healthy and happy lives. Their main goal is to

improve worldwide healthcare and decrease the poverty rate. The worldwide approach to

bettering overall healthcare has been increasingly successful with projects that the Bill and

Melinda Gates Foundation have participated in. They are completely forthright and genuinely

believe in funding projects that have full potential of being successful. Measuring success is

completed by the amount of people that have been help and whose lives have been changed in a

positive direction.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have accepted grant proposals from the Rotaract

Club which have been successfully completed. There has been approximately a 28.3 billion

donation in 2013 to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. There is a sector of specialization

known as the Global Health initiatives which primarily deal with the overall health of

populations that are exposed to specific infectious diseases. The Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation is the perfect funding source to apply for the polio eradication grant proposal. The

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on the overall health of the world and trying different

approaches to reach the goal of eradicating and preventing epidemics and endemics.

Specific Aims

The specific aims of this polio eradication project are numerous but are primarily based

upon completely eradicating polio in Nigeria. It is a fact that by receiving the full vaccinations

for polio that a person will become immune to the disease. The specific aims will concentrate on

being able to administer and fully immunize a person against polio.

• Develop strong bond with Rotaract Club in Nigeria.

• Gain the trust of the Nigerians.

• Breach cultural barriers to educate about polio.

• Reduce the transmission of poliomyelitis by lecturing about sanitary habits.

• Be able to reach all at-risk victims and gain their trust.

• Reaching all victims that are at-risk for contracting polio will be dependent upon

understanding the language and understanding what is the overall health each community

within Nigeria.

• Vaccinating ALL of the potential victims.

The most specific aims that we are planning to accomplish are breaching cultural barriers

to inform and educate the Nigerians about decreasing their chances of contracting polio.

The other very important aim is to vaccinate all potential victims that are at-risk for

contracting polio.

Background and Rationale for Program

The Rotaract Club, or Rotary International, is a worldwide based organization that

participates in projects that are based upon helping those in need. The Rotaract Club has been

around for decades and has performed many projects that have provided many people with better

lives in regards to health and education. The Rotaract Club at Hofstra University has

continuously participated on yearly projects such as Hurricane Sandy relief, creating programs

for women in different countries to go to school, creating programs that deal with animal cruelty,

among many other programs and interventions. The Rotaract Club consists of members that are

dedicated to changing the lives of those that are less fortunate.

Polio continues to plague many parts of the world such as Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan,

Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Niger. However, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan

remain polio endemic which put these countries at high risk. Polio is a highly communicable

disease and has devastated the lives of many. Polio leads to severe paralysis, respiratory issues,

and sometimes even death. The after effects of polio last a lifetime and leave majority of the

victims crippled. This affects them physically and mentally because they will never be able to

live their lives independently.

Since there is a Rotaract Club in Africa, it would be possible to reach out to them and

collaborate in this polio eradication project. With the help of the Rotaract Club in Africa we will

be able to breach cultural barriers such as language, culture, and location. This will also help us

reach the primary targets which are at-risk victims whom are young children. The Rotaract Club

at Hofstra University is a willing organization that will collaborate and reach out to Rotaract

International in Africa.

The way in which the project has been constructed is to spread educational awareness and

vaccinations to the population affected. The vaccinations would be administered by trained

professionals and volunteers would be able to aid in the process. However, educational

awareness is primarily based on sanitary behavior but the most effective way to prevent polio is

to become vaccinated. By breaching cultural barriers, parents will be more inclined to have their

children vaccinated.

The main goal of this polio eradication project is to help prevent people from contracting

poliomyelitis which will result in polio. Realistically, everyone that will be at-risk for contracting

the disease might not be able to be vaccinated but ring vaccinations might be a preventive

measure that could yield positive effects. Also, the lives of those that will be vaccinated will be

changed forever because of their ability to remain independent. As for the children, they will

have the opportunity to experience all of the benefits that life has to offer without experiencing

the traumatic physical and mental effects of polio.

Summary of Program/Narrative

Statement of Need

Polio or poliomyelitis is a highly communicable disease that leads to a viral infection

with lifetime effects. The effects of the polio virus are shortness of breath, severe paralysis, and

even death. Polio is a severe disease that has plagued the lives of many children and adults. Polio

inhibits mobility and causes paralysis which in turn prevents normal daily functions in life.

Children will never be able to experience a normal life filled with activity and independence.

Adults will become depressed and unmotivated because they will no longer be independent. An

individual with paralysis becomes primarily dependent upon those around them for assistance. In

third world countries, it will be more difficult for children to attend school and get the personal

attention and care that they require. Since polio is a highly communicable disease it spreads

rapidly throughout populations with detrimental effects. The virus spreads through the fecal-oral

route via contaminated food and water, and it also spreads with contaminated or infected feces.

In countries such as Nigeria there has been an increase in development and infrastructure within

the city. However, there are many parts of the country that are not developed and are in highly

unsanitary conditions which enable the virus to spread rapidly. The more leakage, waste, and

soiled environment the more sustainable the disease and concentrated. The highly communicable

disease continuously spreads within a population because there are no preventative measures

such as sanitary conditions, vaccinations, or proper medication. There are also costly medicines

that are manufactured to con people whom are afflicted with the disease. These generic

companies manipulate the victims and scam them which are highly unethical and require

immediate attention. People that are struggling to care for their families are being hurt

economically as well as physically because they are using mock treatments and continuously

getting sick. Nigeria is constantly dealing with endemics throughout different parts of the

country because of the spread of the disease. The government does not address polio because

there is no financial support. Children are being continuously victimized by the disease because

they live in shanty towns that have poor sanitary conditions. Innocently, people are contracting

the disease because they cannot afford to move to other areas that are less inclined for a polio

endemic to occur. Sharing vaccinations throughout these areas will be a life-changing event that

will help many children and adults to follow their dreams and have an independent life. The way

in which the project has been constructed is to spread educational awareness and vaccinations to

the populations affected. The vaccinations would be administered by trained professionals and

volunteers would be able to aid in the process. However, educational awareness would be

primarily based on sanitary behavior but the most effective way to prevent polio is to become

vaccinated. By breaching cultural barriers, parents will be more inclined to have their children

vaccinated. In the United States of America, every baby that is born receives multiple

vaccinations against diseases that would have harmful effects on their lives. A polio vaccination

is among these vaccines and there is absolutely no chance for a child to contract polio in

America. Then there are those children that are in countries that have polio circulating

throughout the population and do not receive a single vaccination for anything. In 2013, there

were two children identified in Africa to have paralysis which was caused by polio. One child

was in the southern part of Somalia, and the other child was in a Kenya camp. There was an

outbreak in Nigeria from 2002 to 2005 and it spread to 21 countries because it was an

uncontrollable outbreak. The virus spread too many victims, and approximately paralyzed 1,000

victims. The virus has been currently found in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and in Egypt

because of that uncontrollable outbreak. The virus has never been completely vaccinated in

Nigeria and it continues to progress within the country. The manner in which the World Health

Organization has planned to eradicate polio has been quite effective. However, there are certain

parts of Africa that there are traces of polio that are unidentifiable because of location. The cases

in the more desolate and outlier parts of Africa are not reported and it is impossible to vaccinate

those victims that are at risk for contracting polio. One of the most critical parts of this polio

eradication project is breaching cultural barriers and forming alliances. When being able to fully

communicate with communities we will be able to know who are being afflicted with polio and

specifically which locations. By providing these vaccinations, there will be a new sense of hope

that has never existed for children and adults in areas that are polio endemic. They will finally

have the opportunity to fulfill all goals and dreams that they have created for themselves without

the worry that one day everything might change and that they would no longer be independent.

Goals and Objectives:

Goals

• Vaccinate all individuals that are at-risk for being infected with polio.

• Rid Nigeria of polio.

• Gain trust and breach cultural barriers with the Nigerians so that we will be able to

communicate with them in the most effective way possible.

• Educate parents about the necessity of having sanitary behaviors that will prevent the

spread of the polio virus.

• Educate parents about how important it is for their children to receive polio vaccinations.

The main goal is to identify the locations where polio is most prevalent, by targeting

these areas Nigeria can be completely polio free.

Objectives

• Organize a group of volunteers and licensed medical practitioners that will be going to

Africa to organize and administer the vaccinations.

• Develop a strong relationship with the Rotaract Club in Africa.

• Plan and complete weekly routes that will enable us to vaccinate groups that is

susceptible to polio.

• Vaccinate all potential victims that are at-risk for contracting polio.

Program Plan

• Form a group of volunteers that will participate in the program and travel to Africa.

• The group will consist of student volunteers and members of the Rotaract Club.

• Form a group of medical practitioners that are licensed and can administer vaccines.

• Form a partnership with the Rotaract Club in Africa, and gain their support for the

program.

• Learn about Nigerian culture and habits that will enable us to gain trust.

• Purchase certified polio vaccines.

• Book planes tickets accordingly.

• Booking of proper accommodations and transportation in Africa.

• With the help of Rotary International in Africa, the areas that have a prevalence rate of

polio will be identified.

• According to distance, we will travel to each part that has polio within circulation and

administer the vaccines.

Partnerships

The partnerships that I would like to develop are with the faculty members and my fellow

peers that would like to participate in the program with me. Development of valuable

partnerships will be made with the licensed medical practitioners that will be partaking in the

program. A strong partnership that we will develop will be with the Rotary International in

Africa so that we can collaborate and make the project help more people. Partnerships will

provide a reliable alliance with a group of people that will all strive for the same goals. Rotary

International in Africa will provide all of the necessary information that will enable us to breach

cultural barriers and know exactly what locations are at-risk for polio endemics to occur. The

most important partnership that is a complete necessity it with the Nigerians because those are

the people whose lives I am that this project will change forever in a positive way. By

developing these partnerships, the fight for eradication of polio in Nigeria will become much

stronger and yield positive results that will be life-changing.

Timeline

• January 2014: Begin recruiting volunteers such as members of the Rotaract Club,

students, and faculty members. Form alliance with the Rotaract International Club in

Africa, and gain their support for the program.

• February 2014: Recruit medical practitioners that are licensed and able to administer

polio vaccines.

• February 2014-March 2014: There will be cultural awareness classes that will teach all

participants in the program the cultural values, beliefs, and habits of Nigerians. Prepare

and study the educational awareness programs that will be taught.

• March 2014: Purchase polio vaccines, book plane tickets, book accommodations, and

transportation.

• April 2014 – May 2014: Finalize all preparations and plan out the amount of vaccines

that can be distributed according to the amount of people that have been affected with

polio. Plan route that will be taken according to the places that will be vaccinated. We

will prepare presentations and pamphlets that will teach how to prevent the contraction of

polio and show the severity of the disease.

• June 2014 – July 2014 – August 2014: The program will be occurring in Africa during

the summer because students and faculty members will be more inclined to participate.

The program duration will occur for three months. Throughout these three months all of

the areas that have had traces of polio will targeted and vaccinated.

• Throughout the next five to ten years there will be statistical analysis recorded to measure

the reduction rate of polio in Nigeria.

Evaluation Plan

The plan for evaluation will measure the success of the polio eradication plan. The main

goal is to completely eradicate polio in Nigeria. Due to the lack of vaccinations and medical

attention that the children and adults receive because of economics and government affairs of

Nigeria, there has been a never ending plague of polio. It has never been completely eradicated

and continues to infect and destroy the lives of many victims in Nigeria. The plan of evaluation

that will determine how successful this plan is will be the number of vaccinations that have

been administered. The more people that receive the vaccinations the more effective the plan

will be because they will definitely reduce the rate of polio. However, the plan can truly be

measured through statistical analysis of the amount of victims that have had polio from June of

2003 to June of 2013, and compare it the rate of people that have had polio from June 2013 to

June 2023. On a long term basis, the evaluation of the plan will be measured by the percentage of

reduction in polio cases. The polio eradication project aims to complete eradicate the infectious

disease; therefore the success of the project will be measured by a zero prevalence rate after a

five to ten year observation period. Therefore, an immediate plan of evaluation will be the

amount of vaccines that have been administered to people in Nigeria.

Statement of Human Subjects Protection

Human Subjects Protection is extremely important for the people that are receiving the

vaccinations, the medical practitioners that are administering the vaccinations, and the volunteers

that are aiding in the administration of vaccines and spreading educational awareness. Everyone

is equally important in this polio eradication project because there are many threats those pose a

risk to the well-being of everyone involved. First of all, there will be proper documentation that

gives us the right and welcome to administer vaccinations in Nigeria. The medical company that

will be supplying us with the vaccines and supplies will be properly certified and all

documentation will be available as needed. The life of anyone involved in this project will be

properly cared for. There have been cases where the Taliban and other groups in countries such

as Nigeria are against vaccine workers and seek to hurt them. If there are groups such as these

that will pose a threat against the well fair of vaccine workers then the project will be stopped

and an agreement will be made. There have been issues such as these that have been addressed

and agreements with certain groups that have been made and honored. This polio eradication

project is purely for the well-being of people that have the potential to contract polio and stop the

spread of the disease.

Budget and Budget Narrative

Budget

Trained Professionals to Administer Vaccinations:

Approximately 50

Each person will be paid $ 5,000.00 (not including hotel, transportation, and other costs.)

$250,000.00

Volunteers:

Approximately 100

Volunteers will not be paid.

Other Costs:

Hotel Expenses, Flight Costs, Food Costs.

Hotel, Flight, and Food Costs are $6,000.00 per person for three months.

$900,000.00 for the group.

Vaccination Costs:

The cost for a vaccine is $0.10.

The cost for 1,000,000 vaccines is $100,000.00.

Since there is a need for three vaccines and a booster the total cost of the vaccines will be

$400,000.000.

Other medical supplies such as disinfectants, cotton swabs, bandages, and etc…

Costs: $100,000.00

The total cost for the project would be $1,650,000.00

There are approximately 168.8 million people in Nigeria. Since polio is still is existent

within the country, everyone is at risk and a severe epidemic could occur. The amount of the

people affected is unknown. Since there is just a large population that that has the potential to

become infected with polio the most effective way to eradicate polio would be to administer as

many people as possible that are in polio endemic areas. The manner in which we will be able to

identify which areas are polio endemic will be dependent on hospital reports, breaching cultural

barriers, and communicating with the locals. Communication will be the key to localizing the

areas that are most susceptible to becoming polio endemic and those areas that are already

plagued with polio. The budget will provide the volunteers and medical practitioners with

sufficient facilities and needs that they will require. The budget also includes all medical supplies

that will be needed including vaccinations and supplies. The total cost represents everything that

will be needed to complete a polio eradication project. However, there is excess that is being

required because of the conditions that might not have been accounted for. If there is a

possibility that more vaccinations can be distributed within the time period then the excess

money will be used to purchase them. The excess money will also be used for medical supplies

and in the event that there is a medical emergency. The budget is a rough estimation of all costs

because throughout the project there will be a lot of travelling and the places that will serve as

shelter can be various prices. The budget will fluctuate and the resources and amount of people

participating will be dependent upon the actual grant approval amount.

Plan of Sustainability

Polio is a severely harmful disease that can lead to severe paralysis and death. By

administering polio vaccines that consist of three doses and a booster shot, the prevalence rate of

polio in Nigeria should diminish. With the continuous support and collaboration of the Rotary

Club in Nigeria, we will be able to appropriately target the groups that need attention. The main

focus groups will be the populations that are most susceptible to contracting the disease. The

volunteers will be able to organize and set up the facility and environment that the vaccines will

be administered. There will also be some volunteers that will be educating the parents and

children of the chosen group. The education awareness program is detrimental to the success of

eradicating polio. People that are at risk for getting polio and live in areas that make them more

susceptible to contracting it, it is extremely important that they learn the preventative measures

that are necessary in decreasing their chance of getting polio. Areas that are impoverished are

more inclined to have polio circulating because the disease thrives in unsanitary conditions. As

we continue traveling to different places the same procedure will be practiced and customs will

be adjusted to the match that of the group that will be working with. Since the project is

approximately occurring for three months, the remaining vaccines and boosters will be left for

the Rotary Club in Nigeria to continuously administer the vaccinations. With the continuation of

administering the vaccines, the polio eradication project will continue to thrive. The alliance with

the Rotary Club in Nigeria will be very helpful in the eradication process because in the future

we could collaborate. The collaboration could lead to the accurate statistics of the reducing rate

of polio as well as the continuous educational awareness programs that stop the spread of polio if

it is still prevalent.

Proof of Capacity

The budget and budget narrative includes all of the supplies and financial requirements

that will be needed to fully implement the polio eradication project. The polio eradication project

is aimed at vaccinating one million people that are at-risk for becoming infected with polio. The

supplies and preparations are tailored to be administered to one million patients. The main target

of the polio eradication project is to administer the vaccinations to children. Children are the

most vulnerable to the disease because of their close contact with other children and their weaker

immune systems. The groups that we will receive the vaccinations will be ranked by children,

teenagers, and then adults because of age and susceptibility to the disease. Since the project is

mostly aimed at vaccinating particular groups, the actual amount of people at risk for polio will

be unknown. We will continuously administer vaccinations and educational awareness until we

have diminished supply. The polio eradication project will be effective because the medical

resources that are needed will be bountiful and the assistance required helping fulfill the goals

that we hope to achieve. The medical practitioners and volunteers will be fully trained and well

prepared to understand what the polio eradication project consists of. People that are completely

committed and are able to complete the project will be efficiently chosen to participate. All

members of the group will be able to change the lives of many people because of their choice to

dedicate their time, effort, and talents to completely eradicating polio in Nigeria. Each

vaccination and medical supply will be used properly and efficiently to ensure the welfare of all

patients. The proof of capacity can be measured through the budget and the timeline that has

been created because the project will be completed accordingly.

Conclusion

The eradication of polio in any country that is still affected by the disease is a life

changing event for the people within that country. The polio eradication that project that I have

focused on is to primarily save the lives of many people that are helpless. In Nigeria, the

bacterium known as poliomyelitis are still existent and thrives in unsanitary conditions that exist

throughout the country. Children and adults that become infected with the disease are paralyzed

and completely lose all sense of independence. They will never be able to lead normal lives and

achieve the goals that they have created for themselves. The polio eradication project consists of

elements that I believe could completely eradicate polio in Nigeria. There are many faucets of

culture and practicality that will lead to the success of this project. However, I believe that by

finding and vaccinating all areas that are threatened by polio will provide the most efficient

results because it will no longer be existent. Breaching cultural barriers is another element of

polio eradication that plays a major role in the success of the project. I believe that everyone

deserves the right to become vaccinated against polio because it has become so common among

first world countries. People in third world countries that face the risk of becoming infected with

polio on a daily basis require the right to become vaccinated and live their lives. Polio

eradication in Nigeria will be a life changing event that will impact every person that is in

participating in the project as well as those whom are receiving vaccinations and educational

awareness.