Nelson Mandela remembered as an ally for peace, polio eradication
In 1996, routine polio immunizations in Nigeria and other African countries were anything but routine. Competing health priorities and lack of funding hampered many governments from putting polio eradication high on their agenda. The drive for a polio-free Africa needed a playmaker.
Enter Nelson Mandela. Herb Brown, Rotary’s president in 1995-96, recalls seeking the South African leader’s support.
«President Mandela was so gracious and listened as we described the problem,» Brown says. «I told him only he had the influence to persuade the countries to resume immunization.»
Mandela agreed to…
