Posted by Doug Anstaett
As we all know, the eradication of polio has been the No. 1 goal of Rotary International since 1988.
Each year we join with our Rotary partners around the world by observing Oct. 24 as World Polio Day, which coincides with the birthday of Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the first polio vaccine. The day serves to raise global awareness about the importance of polio vaccination and the ongoing efforts to eliminate the disease worldwide.
Our efforts have been wildly successful, yet wild polio remains endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and variant polio outbreaks threaten the progress we have made against the disease. Rotary has helped immunize over 3 billion children against polio in 122 countries since 1988 and polio cases have been slashed by 99.9 percent.
What has made the difference is comprehensive immunization efforts that have spread to every country around the world.
The efforts of Rotary Clubs, the Gates Foundation and national and international health organizations have been extraordinarily effective, but high levels of vaccination must continue now and into the future to stop polio transmission.
We hope you will join Rotary Club members in observing World Polio Day. The support of all of us will guarantee that this awful disease is kept in check for future generations. If you haven’t already, consider becoming a PolioPlus member, which requires just a $100 commitment per year to RI.
Anyone can be a part of the fight to end polio and have their donation to Rotary International matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation. Visit endpolio.org to learn more and donate.
And there is still time to join a Rotary International trip to India in late October to vaccinate children. For more information, click the link below or contact Maria Wilson, D 5710 PolioPlus Chair, at (785) 224-6745 or Maria4PolioPlus@gmail.com.
https://worldpolioday.agratajmahalrotary.org/default.aspx for trip details
https://rotary5710.org/50021/Page/ShowSitePage?ClassCode=SitePage&Slug=polio-plus for scholarship details
Let's make this the year we end polio.