RI MINUTE October 25, 2016

Posted by Sue Foster on Oct 25, 2016

More than 23,000 viewers in 24 countries tuned in to Rotary's World Polio Day event, streamed live on 24 October. Health officials including James Alexander, senior medical epidemiologist for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gave an update on the polio eradication campaign and praised Rotary's achievements to date. Rotary has contributed more than $1.2 billion to polio eradication since 1979. For World Polio Day, Rotary released $44.7 million in grants to fight the disease in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In addition to the update, the event included entertainment by reggae star Ziggy Marley and Tessanne Chin, 2013 winner of the TV show "The Voice.

Minda Dentler, a polio survivor and Ironman competitor, describes her personal battle against the disease. Dentler, who contracted polio as a child in India, in 2013 became the first female handcyclist to complete the grueling Ironman World Championship.

Photo Credit: Rotary International/Alyce Henson