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World Polio Day is a time for Rotary members from all over the world to come together, recognize our progress in our fight to end polio, and talk about the action we need to take in order to end polio for good.
Polio was once one of the most feared diseases globally. A highly infectious disease with no cure, polio spread rapidly through communities and left devastation in its wake. Every year, thousands of children used to be killed and hundreds of thousands paralyzed.
In 1985, Rotary International launched PolioPlus, the first and largest internationally coordinated private-sector support of a public health initiative. Three years later, with Rotary's help, The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is launched, as polio paralyzes more than 350,000 children every year in over 125 countries.
In this video, we explore why it is critical to remain vigilant. Hear from WHO advisor Dr. Sunil Bahl on the role of surveillance in preventing outbreaks, visit a government lab in India, and follow the collection of an AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) sample.
Today, thanks to global efforts and innovative tools, polio cases are down 99.9%. With wild poliovirus restricted to just a few high-risk geographies, the world has an historic opportunity to stop virus transmission for good. There are 20 million children walking today who would otherwise have been paralyzed. Only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, remain endemic for wild polio.
Along with its partners, Rotary International and clubs around the world have helped immunize 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.
Donations to the PolioPlus Fund can be made HERE.
