AREA ROTARIAN LEADS HUMANITARIAN VISIT GOAL IS TO ERADICATE POLIO WITH VACCINATIONS.

Byline: Angie Valencia Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - A Simi Valley man leading a group of area Rotarians will be among an army of 2.6 million volunteers helping vaccinate more than 150 million children against polio next month in India.

Anil Garg, 60, will lead 33 Rotarians from Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Kern counties to lend a hand for National Immunization Day on Feb. 22.

The project is part of a huge effort to eradicate polio globally by 2005 - a target goal of Rotary International, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and governments around the world.

``It's such a monumental task,'' Garg said this past week. ``We may not make it by the cutoff year, but it will be eradicated. It's just a matter of time.''

On Feb. 22, volunteers will staff about 650 stations where townspeople can take their children for oral vaccines. The following day, they'll go door to door to vaccinate remaining children.

``We've eradicated 99 percent of all cases worldwide,'' said Dr. Otto Austel, 74. ``Now we're struggling with a few cases.

Each vaccine costs about 4 cents, and it takes from 10 to 16 doses for it to be 100 percent effective. In addition to the cost, the mission is difficult for a range of reasons.

``Certain cultures are concerned that the vaccine will cause their children to be sterile,'' Austel said. ``Those parents resist because they think it's a Western prop(aganda).''

India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are among countries that continue to report cases of the disease.

``Even if polio were never eradicated, the program has improved the health care in children in areas of extreme poverty,'' Austel said. ``We've already eradicated smallpox. If we eradicate polio, next on the list will be measles and, ultimately, HIV.''

The Polio Eradication Initiative is a plan envisioned by international, national and local health agencies; Rotary International has served as the primary source of funding. Rotary members pledged $120 million toward the cause in 1985; by 1988, they had doubled their goal to more than $247 million. Today, the commitment has grown to well past $500 million.

Upon returning from their trip, Garg said, he and his fellow Rotarians will also serve as advocates for India. They will report on other projects Rotary members can get involved in to benefit the impoverished nation, he said.

Angie Valencia, [phone]

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Anil Garg of Simi Valley is leading a Rotarian mission to India in February.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News