On Monday, October 21st His Worship Mayor Rick Milne declared World Polio Week in New Tecumseth and raised the End Polio Now flag in front of the municipal offices in Alliston. In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of continued efforts to vaccinate the children of the world, the flag will fly all week. Rotarians from the Alliston club were on hand to witness the ceremony and to show their support for the international partnerships that, since 1984, have been working together to eradicate this crippling, and sometimes fatal, disease. UNICEF, WHO, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the Gates Foundation, and the government of Canada have all committed to working with Rotary International to keep the promise to the children of the world that polio will be defeated.
Polio remains endemic in two countries only, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where geography, civic distrust, and political unrest create difficult challenges in getting the precious vaccine to vulnerable children. Early in 2020 polio will have been eradicated in the continent of Africa, once Nigeria has been declared polio-free. This gives the partners hope that the millions of dollars and the thousands of volunteers' time and effort will not have been given in vain.
We ask that citizens of New Tecumseth remain committed to vaccinating their children and grandchildren and not to let apathy and disinformation question the wisdom of regular inoculation. Measles has come back; let's not have polio return as well.
Photos: The flag raising ceremony and the proclamation signed and presented by Mayor Rick Milne.
World Polio Day, Thursday, October 24th
World Polio Day is 24 October! Mark your calendar to tune in for Rotary International’s World Polio Day Online Global Update, streamed on Facebook in multiple time zones and languages around the world. President Sue has sent out a separate note about this unique opportunity.
This year’s program will highlight the heroes of polio eradication, with stories from polio-endemic and recently impacted areas. This is the link:
