Today is World Polio Day 2024!

Think polio is a thing of the past?.. Not quite   -  but it will be…

Polio anywhere is a threat to children everywhere and eradicating polio has been one of Rotary’s most significant humanitarian goals for nearly four decades - having contributed more than US$2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to the fight to end polio Rotary is ‘nearly there’!

 In 1985, when there were 350,000 cases a year, Rotary International launched their campaign against Polio, the first and largest internationally coordinated private-sector support of a public health initiative and millions of people are walking today thanks to it. The number of wild poliovirus cases per year has dropped by 99.9%, with cases of polio recorded dropping yearly, but the reporting recently of a case in Gaza poses a significant threat.

This truly phenomenal achievement would never have happened without the involvement of thousands of Rotarians across the world who helped immunise over 2.5 billion children in 122 countries and currently Rotary and its partners immunize nearly 400m children every year.

World Polio Day, established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis, is held annually to highlight and support the ongoing global fight to end polio for good. Rotary, with its partners, are continuing the fight so the past doesn’t become the present or the future. All donations are matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, tripling their impact!