Please remember:  October 24th is World Polio Day 
Message from Annette Rusnell, D7080 Polio Chair
 
As the new Polio Chair for District 7080 I want to put out the challenge for every Club and Cluster to mark the World Polio Day, October 24th.
Rotary International can be very proud of its commitment and contributions to eradicate Polio.
 
As of 2018, our official contributions recognized by WHO are US $ 1.862 billion amounting to about 14.5% of all worldwide contributions.  However – this does not include our personal commitments to go into the affected areas to deliver the vaccines, promote the eradication process and the matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
 
August 21, 2019 was another milestone in achieving a World free of Polio – Nigeria was recognized as 3 years Polio free, but more surveillance is required and it will take at least until 2020 until the whole African Region can also be certified Polio Free by the WHO.
 
The History of GPEI (Global Polio Eradication Initiative) 
 
1988 – WHO announces it GPEI
1989 – Rotary joins this effort, followed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the         Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
1994 – WHO certifies the Americas Polio free
2000 -  Western Pacific Region achieves Polio free status
2014 – South East Asia Region declared Polio Free
 
Estimates are that due to all our good efforts about 18 million who otherwise would not have been able to walk people can now walk; and about 1.5 million child deaths have been prevented as mostly children under the age of 5 years fall victims to this terrible disease.
 
But we cannot relax our efforts now.  Afghanistan and Pakistan still have 33 reported active wild polio virus cases and it is estimated that if we do not pay attention to these few cases, within 10 years they can spread and can cause a further 200,000 new cases.
 
Please remember: there is no cure for Polio – only prevention and our efforts have to continue until we can proudly declare Polio to be a disease of the past, the second disease to achieve this status after the world was declared free of Small Pox in 1980.
 
Here’s how you can help:
·        We can use October 24 for fundraising and to create community awareness.
·        The Polio flyer can be ordered free of charge from the RI shop.org.
·        Organize club initiatives for October 24th i.e. for the last two years the Brampton Cluster booked space in Brampton’s City Hall and displayed information on our efforts to eradicate Polio and to raise funds; other clubs participate in raising the “End Polio Now” flag at their city hall; and there are many other initiatives to spread the word.
 
The challenge is ours.  Be creative –please send me short summaries of your actions and perhaps some photos too.  You can reach me via email: annetter.rotary@gmail.com or by phone: 416-435-4101.