Dear Rotarians/ International PolioPlus Committee members/ Directors and Trustees,Nigerians Everywhere
It is with great pride that we inform you that one of our own has been named one of
TIME’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Just a few moments ago, Dr. Tunji
Funsho, Rotary’s Nigeria National PolioPlus Chair was named to the TIME 100 list for
his critical leadership in working with Rotary members and our partners to achieve
a wild polio-free Nigeria and eradicate the wild poliovirus in the African region.
He is the first Rotary member to receive this honor for our work to eradicate polio.
Dr. Funsho is a member of the Rotary Club of Lekki in Lagos, Nigeria and is Past
District Governor of District 9110 and member of the International PolioPlus
Committee. Dr. Funsho is a cardiologist with a lifelong commitment to building a
healthier world. As Nigeria National PolioPlus Chair since 2013, he has built on the
work of his predecessors by leading PolioPlus efforts in Nigeria.
Working alongside his fellow Rotarians, Dr. Funsho has built awareness for the importance of polio
immunization, encouraged governments and public figures to support polio
eradication, and served as a vocal leader and advocate for Rotary and our fight to
end polio.
The TIME 100 list recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s
most influential individuals. Dr. Funsho joins the list with some of the most
important and well-known public figures in the world who have been past recipients
of the honor: heads of state such as Angela Merkel, religious figures like the Dalai
Lama and Pope Francis, celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Bono, philanthropists like
Bill Gates, and activists such as Malala Yousafzai.
Dr. Funsho stands on the shoulders of the countless women and men of Rotary who
have dedicated their lives, their time, and their money to Rotary’s top priority of
eradicating polio.
This honor is not just a testament to his work, it is
acknowledgment that Rotary members make a difference in the world—one that is
acknowledgment that Rotary members make a difference in the world one that is
worthy of international recognition among the world’s most distinguished leaders.
Every Rotarian can be a leader in the fight to eradicate polio.
We hope you’ll use this
recognition of Dr. Funsho and Rotary as an opportunity to put renewed energy and
focus into creating a world where no child ever again has to be paralyzed by the
poliovirus. We’ve come so far into our fight to eradicate polio, and we’ve made
incredible progress in the face of enormous challenges. As we join in congratulation
to Dr. Funsho, let’s join together and deliver upon our promise to End Polio Now.
Sincerely,
Holger Knaack K.R. Ravindran
President, Rotary International Chair,
The Rotary
Foundation
CC:
RI Board of Directors & Directors-Elects, TRF Board of Trustees + Incoming
Trustees
District Governors, District Governors-Elect
PolioPlus Committees (International PolioPlus Committee, 2020-21 EPN
Countdown to History Campaign Committee, Polio Eradication Advocacy Task
Forces, PolioPlus National Advocacy Advisors, National PolioPlus Committee
Chairs, End Polio Now Zone Coordinators)
Regional Leaders (RCs, RPICs, RRFCs, E/MGAs)
Rotary clubs in Nigeria
PRIPs, DRFCs
Communications Committee
End Polio Now Newsletter Subscribers
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