Rotary Clubs around the world are marking Oct. 24 as World Polio Day to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.
When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative more than three decades ago, polio paralyzed 1,000 children every day. Great progress against the disease has been made since then. Polio cases have dropped by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 1988 in 125 countries to 33 cases of wild poliovirus in 2018 in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. And Rotarians remain committed to the end.
With polio nearly eradicated, Rotary and its partners are working to sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.
Rotary International has committed to raising US $50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total yearly contribution of $150 million.
The Rotary Club of Jefferson donates annually to Rotary International’s End Polio campaign.
To learn more about Rotary and the fight to eradicate polio, visit endpolio.org.
