Dr. Crater shared with the San-Cap Rotary club the wonderful news about the effectiveness of vaccines, including that Polio cases have decreased 99.9% worldwide, thanks in large part by Rotary International. In 1994, Polio was eliminated from the Western Hemisphere. By 2000, the Western Pacific region was declared polio-free; by 2014, Southeast Asia was polio-free. In 2020, Africa was declared free of wild Polio.
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we’ve reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.
Dr. Dana Crater is a board-certified pediatrician at Physicians’ Primary Care in Fort Myers, Florida, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She earned both her B.A. and M.D. from the University of Virginia and completed her residency at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she served as Chief Resident.
A Sanibel resident for 17 years, Dr. Crater has raised three children with her husband Scott and is deeply involved in the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ. She founded the “Wednesdays of Wonder” after-school program and currently leads the 2025 Christmas Eve Beach Service committee.
During Hurricane Ian, she organized a rescue contact list for Sanibel residents and pets, aiding city officials and first responders. In her free time, she enjoys open water swimming, biking, hiking, skiing, and travel.
To learn more about the Sanibel Captiva Rotary Club join us for breakfast every Friday morning at 7:30 AM at the Sanibel Community House, or visit our website, www.saibelrotary.org.
