STATE COLLEGE — Anyone who thinks one person can’t make a difference in our modern world hasn’t met E.G.P. Haran.
Holding a doctorate in urban planning, Haran recently spoke to the Rotary Club of State College-Downtown about the central role he played in the ongoing battle to eradicate polio from the world.
A resident of Bangalore, in southern India, Haran has been in dozens of countries to oversee the administration of the polio vaccine to millions of children.
Haran was in State College to visit with his son, Murali Haran, a tenured member of the Penn State faculty who teaches and is conducting research in the field of statistics.
“This is the best time in my life,” he said in a gentle and quiet voice. “I envision a global community that does away with exploitation. We are all intertwined in this world.”
Haran’s trip to America also included a visit to his alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University, where he received the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2016.
Currently there are only three nations on earth that have reported cases of the poliovirus —Nigeria, India and Pakistan. “Eventually, the virus will be done,” he said.
The most difficult challenge is in Pakistan, where, according to Haran, there are more than 25 groups of Taliban still operating. The convergence of culture and government resistance have made the final three countries a challenge.
Haran lived and worked in the three countries for extended periods.
It all started in 1996, when Rotary International contacted Haran.
“They asked me to raise dollars for vaccines. We raised more than $250 million and created the momentum that brought China and the Philippines on board.”
His initial goal was to visit all the countries in Asia. “China was very receptive, even though they do not have Rotary Clubs in that country,” said Haran. He even made it to the remote Solomon Islands.
One of his duties was to help organize a one-day vaccination of Indian children. “On that one day, India vaccinated more than 125 million children,” he said. “Now, I continue to work on polio, but I am also working to eradicate measles and rubella in the world.”
Recently, Haran became a member of his local Bangalore Rotary Club. He would like to establish a partnership with the State College Rotary Club to work together on an international project. This sort of activity is encouraged by the International Rotary Foundation, one of the largest in the word.
The Bangalore Club, Haran noted, has a “wish list” of projects that are well beyond the scope of most clubs in America.
“We want to create 100 ‘Happy Schools,’” he said. “A ‘Happy School’ is one with proper sanitation, clean water and teachers who know how to teach basic skills.”
The club also built and operates a high school in Bangalore, as well as numerous kidney dialysis units for individuals who are too poor to pay for the service themselves.
“I would like to convince the State College Club to work with us on e-learning and seeing our students make progress,” he said.
