Rotary commemorates World Polio Day

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World Polio Day was established over a decade ago by Rotary International to commemorate the Oct. 24 birthday of Dr. Jonas Salk. Salk led the first team to develop a vaccine against the poliomyelitis virus, better known as polio, in the 1950s.

To recognize the day, and raise awareness of this important cause, the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg is flying the distinctive End Polio Now flag at the Rotary Clock tower this month.

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Rotary members have contributed more than $2.2 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly three billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

When Rotary and its partners formed the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. Today, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9 per cent, and just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Because of the efforts of Rotary and its partners, nearly 19.4 million people who would otherwise have been paralyzed are walking, and more than 1.5 million people are alive who would otherwise have died.

The infrastructure we helped build to end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases (including COVID-19) and create lasting impact in other areas of public health (www.endpolio.org).

The poliovirus is a highly contagious disease that destroys the nervous system causing paralysis. There are three different forms which have a variety of effects, ranging from mild to paralysis. Fecal-oral contact often from poor hand washing or from consuming contaminated food or water can spread the virus. It can also be transmitted by sneezing or coughing.

Africa had a key milestone in this fight recently. The African Region was officially certified as wild poliovirus-free in August 2020. With this certification, five of the six WHO regions, which represent over 90 per cent of the world’s population, have achieved this milestone.

As of the end of September 2021, only two cases of polio caused by wild poliovirus have been reported this year, one case in Afghanistan and one in Pakistan. This is incredible progress, Rotarians agreed, but there are a variety of challenges that require continued focus and resolve. Very recently, inaccessibility to some areas of Afghanistan due to recent political upheaval, population movement caused by this instability, and vaccine hesitancy, increased by COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on social media, are factors Rotarians say they must overcome. With sufficient resources, the commitment of national governments, and innovations that improve access to remote areas, club members are optimistic that polio can be eliminated.

While it’s important to celebrate these milestones and progress, Rotarians say they remain focused on completely eradicating the wild poliovirus.

Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year for polio eradication. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that two-to-one, for a total commitment of $150 million each year. These funds provide much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors all play a crucial role in funding.

You can help us eradicate polio by contributing online through this link, or reaching out to us through our social media pages: raise.rotary.org/Tillsonburg/fundraiser .