Pakistan is one of the remaining corners of the world where polio still lingers. Last year, the government declared a national emergency, and with the help of international institutions, embarked on an aggressive vaccination campaign.

So far, the results have been promising. The number of new polio cases is about a third of last year's total of 198.

But the new campaign, like previous efforts, hasn't been able to overcome one critical problem: getting into parts of Pakistan's lawless tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan to vaccinate the children there.

About 75 percent of Pakistan's polio cases can be traced back to certain areas there, primarily FATA, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Quetta, in Baluchistan, is also difficult to enter, says Pakistan's point person for polio, Shahnaz Wazir Ali.

The Taliban, al-Qaida and other Islamist groups are based throughout the region, and it's volatile and dangerous.

"This is a traditionally tribal society," Wazir Ali says. "And no one from outside can access those communities because of their very, very strict tribal laws."

"In certain areas, we have not been able to access children for more than three years because of military operations, because of the American drone strikes ... because of the reaction to what the Americans and other countries are doing in Afghanistan," Wazir Ali says.

In July, the Taliban flat-out banned any polio teams from entering North and South Waziristan until the U.S. drone attacks stopped.

Craig Shipcott Community Services Director

Calling all Orange Rotarians! The Community Service Committee wants you. We are looking for volunteers to head various projects, one of which includes working with Orange PD on the next GRIP project in the Spring of 2013. We would also like volunteers to help with the needs of Mary's Kitchen, the Orange Senior Center, as well as others. In addition, if you have an idea of a project we can support here in Orange.

Community Service in Orange only works if we have Orange Rotarians lead the way.  

Our next Community Service Committee meeting is at 11:30am on Thursday, November 1st, just before our club meeting. Get Involved, and get active!

Click here to send your email questions or projects, Thanks Craig 

Submit your Photo's, Documents, Stories, Bio's, for the Orange Rotarian to gchitjian@aol.com 

Glenn Chitjian
Newsletter Publisher (714) 719-6965