Photographer Reflects on 18 Years of Chasing Polio
By Etelka Lehoczky for Rotary Magazine
Exhibit documents the scope of polio eradication efforts worldwide.
The exhibit “Chasing Polio,” was on display at the Chicago Center for Photojournalism in Chicago, USA. It captured an extraordinary 18-year journey. Photographer Jean-Marc Giboux traveled to 17 countries to document the effects of polio and the wide-ranging fight to eradicate it. He spoke with Rotary International, a sponsor of the exhibit, about his favorite photos, his most challenging ordeals, and how a Rotary member helped him at a crucial moment.
“The first place I went was Ethiopia, and I wanted to go into the south to see some tribal areas. It was the rainy season, and we got stuck in the mud in the middle of the night. I was able to photograph the vaccinations, but it took me around three days to get back. That was the reality. In the same way I made my way there, the polio vaccine had to get there. It was quite interesting to see the difficulty. Putting two drops of vaccine in the mouth of a kid is not that difficult. Making it happen is the difficult part.”
This article is highlighted by many photographs Jean-Marc Giboux