24 October is World Polio Day! Are You Ready?
When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. We’ve made great progress against the disease since then. Today, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9 percent, and just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we remain committed to the end.
We are making great progress towards eradicating polio, however recent news reminds us that polio anywhere is a threat everywhere. Polio is being detected around the world in places where it hasn’t been found in decades. In the United States, an unvaccinated man was paralyzed by polio. In the UK, poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples. In Malawi, a child contracted polio. And Mozambique announced its first polio outbreak of wild poliovirus in 30 years.
The time for urgent action is now. A new vaccine has been deployed to stop outbreaks. Malawi, Mozambique, and nearby countries are conducting immunization campaigns to stop the spread of the virus. With our partners and advocates like you, we continue to encourage communities worldwide to provide vaccinations.
Every year on October 24, Rotarians around the world recognize World Polio Day as a way to highlight the efforts made to eradicate this disease and encourage others to join us in our fight.
As World Polio Day 2022 approaches, the Rotary community is getting ready to amplify our message about eradicating polio to protect the world’s children from this devastating disease.
Together, we’ve made tremendous progress. Now it’s time to intensify our fight to make polio the second human disease ever to be eradicated. Last year, the World Health Organization’s African region was certified free of wild poliovirus, showing that eradication is possible even in very difficult circumstances. The wild poliovirus remains endemic in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. We can use World Polio Day to advocate for the support we need to end polio in countries where it still paralyzes children.
For some great background information and suggestions on what you can do for World Polio Day, check out Past Rotary International President John Germ as he his team discuss why it is so important for Rotarians to share the story of Rotary's role in our quest to drop to zero; and, learn about ideas and resources that your club and district can leverage to put together a successful event.
Inspire action
As we approach World Polio Day, 24 October, you can help us make an impact and stop the spread of polio.
Take action for World Polio Day by promoting the importance of polio eradication, raising funds, and planning events. Let’s engage our communities in the fight against polio — because as long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere.
Visit endpolio.org for information and resources.
Use the World Polio Day Toolkit to find resources and tips for planning activities and promoting a polio-free world. Inspire others to join us by hosting virtual and community events, creating fundraisers, and sharing posts on social media.
Register your club’s participation in World Polio Day to show how Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs around the world are taking action to eradicate polio. If you register your events, fundraisers, and promotions by 14 October, you’ll get early access to a download of Rotary’s World Polio Day Global Update one week before the program will be shown on 24 October on Rotary’s Facebook page and endpolio.org.
Use Raise for Rotary to start an online fundraiser or create one on the End Polio Now Facebook page to benefit The Rotary Foundation’s PolioPlus Fund for World Polio Day. Then, share it with your network!
Become a member of the District 7030 PolioPlus Society by committing to contribute US $100 (or more) annually to the TRF PolioPlus Fund.
Raise awareness by sharing content from the World Polio Day Toolkit, which you can find on the World Polio Day webpage
Lastly, make sure and register your World Polio Day activities with Zone 34 as part of the 2022-2023 Public Image Citation. Go to the Zone 34 WPD Task and you can upload photos, reference social media posts and describe what your activity entails and accomplished
World Polio Day will help us provide the resources needed to protect children from the U.S. to Mozambique and around the world. Join us so that no child suffers the paralyzing effects of polio ever again.