In recent months, poliomyelitis, also known as polio, has been detected in places where it has not been seen in years. There were recent cases announced in New York, Malawi, and Mozambique. The virus was also detected within the sewerage system in the United Kingdom. With this alarming news, Rotarians worldwide remain vigilant and confident in Rotary International’s goal of achieving a polio-free world
Polio is a contagious and crippling disease affecting primarily children under five. It targets the muscles and nervous systems. It quickly spreads from person to person, often found in a person’s saliva and human waste. There is no cure, but the disease is preventable through safe and effective vaccination.
World Polio Day is a global day observed annually on Oct 24th to raise awareness about the disease and stress the importance of protecting every child against polio through safe and effective vaccination. Rotary members started fighting polio in the ’70s in the Philippines and, in 1985, launched Polio Plus, where there was an estimate of over 350,000 polio cases found in over 125 countries in a year. Polio cases have been reduced by 99% since Rotary’s first project to vaccinate children in 1979.
On Sept 24th, Rotary International President Jennifer Jones announced that Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative pledged $150 million towards eradicating polio. Jones emphasized that the wild poliovirus is endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and spreading the disease is preventable. Jones expressed that the vaccination program was disrupted by COVID -19 in 2021, as over 25 million children went without critical immunizations.
Raising awareness of this deadly disease, the Rotary Club of Tortola took the initiative of educating persons about polio with a polio awareness campaign, utilizing the slogan “Together we can END POLIO, one pinkie at a time”. Stations were set up at Clarence Thomas Limited (Fish Bay) and Little Switzerland at the Cyril B Romney Pier Park. Rotarians educated people about the disease, how one can contract it and about Rotary’s efforts towards eradication. Persons also contributed to the cause by making donations in exchange for and getting their pinkies painted purple. This gesture is symbolic of when Rotary workers and volunteers checked a child’s finger to determine if they were vaccinated. When children receive the polio vaccine, their pinkie fingers are marked with purple ink to indicate to health workers that the child has been vaccinated.
As an added touch, persons who donated at the event took pictures with homemade photo frames and end polio props.
“The event was successful as within three hours we were able to acquire a bit of fund by asking persons to donate $1, which is equivalent to the cost to vaccinate one child against polio“ said Director Ixora Wong of the Rotary Club of Tortola. She added, “we informed the public of the significance of painting people’s pinkies purple, and once the information was received, men, women and children donated and got their pinkie painted. The bonus was getting their pictures taken with one of our many Polio-themed frames.”
The Rotary Club of Tortola expresses its sincere gratitude to the BVI community for its participation in and support of its various initiatives held throughout the week to raise awareness and funds for polio. We will keep the BVI community abreast of Rotary’s eradication efforts, as it can potentially affect all of us if not kept under control.
