Today, October 24, is World Polio Day. Let's come together to support the eradication of polio. We need the support of every club and every member. Together, we can end polio.
World Polio Day is a time for Rotary members, public health advocates, and all who want a world free from polio to come together, recognize our progress in the fight to end polio, and talk about the actions we need to take in order to end polio for good.
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Eradicating polio is Rotary's top humanitarian priority. Since Rotary and our partners formed the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, the incidence of wild polio cases has decreased by 99.9%. But polio anywhere in the world puts children everywhere at risk. Learn about why it’s so important that we maintain our efforts to end polio and how you can take action.
Rotary's eradication efforts
Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on difficult problems and create lasting change. We set bold goals — including the eradication of polio.
This is our top humanitarian priority, and we've made incredible progress. But polio anywhere can affect children everywhere. This is why we need to maintain our efforts and end polio now.
Rotary International has been working to eradicate polio for more than 40 years. Scroll through to learn more about our major initiatives.
Rotary's role
Rotary International's primary role in the GPEI is engaging Rotary members, raising funds and awareness, and participating in advocacy. Rotary members themselves raise funds, immunize children, promote awareness in their communities, and work to secure support from governments, nongovernmental organizations, corporations, and the public.
Rotary has helped immunize more than 3 billion children against polio, contributed more than US$2.7 billion to global polio eradication efforts, and helped secure more than US$11 billion from donor governments.
What we can do together
With our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we're working to interrupt the transmission of all polioviruses (wild polio and vaccine-derived variants). We do this by ensuring that specific geographic areas have thorough immunization coverage, by carrying out other immunization activities (including targeted campaigns when needed), and by monitoring any outbreaks as well as wastewater for signs of poliovirus.
Achieving routine immunization coverage
To protect communities successfully, we need to achieve routine immunization coverage of more than 80% of children in their first year of life. This requires at least three doses of the oral polio vaccine as part of national immunization schedules.
Conducting supplementary immunization activities
We work with our government partners to organize and conduct additional activities, such as National Immunization Days, to give two drops of oral polio vaccine to children under age five. These activities supplement routine immunizations.
Creating focused house-to-house campaigns
Rotary's partners organize targeted immunization campaigns in areas where the poliovirus is known or thought to be present.
Performing surveillance of cases and wastewater
To contain any polio outbreaks, health workers conduct surveillance (identifying cases and reporting them promptly) of every incidence of acute flaccid paralysis (sudden weakness that may be caused by the poliovirus). Workers also perform surveillance on sewage water for traces of poliovirus.
What you can do
As a Rotary member, you can take action to ensure that all the GPEI partners are able to complete their responsibilities in these efforts. Here are some ways that you can support these activities:
Learn more about polio (using the materials in this course) so you can discuss and explain eradication efforts.
Raise awareness by hosting fundraisers and events — including virtual activities — on World Polio Day (24 October), during World Immunization Week (24-30 April), and throughout the year.
Contact your government representatives to encourage them to support and allocate funding toward polio eradication efforts.
Start a conversation on social media about the effects of polio and why eradication is crucial.
Encourage others to get involved and take action to end polio.
Donate(opens in a new tab) to the PolioPlus Fund through The Rotary Foundation.
What if we don't succeed?
Although wild polio is endemic in just two countries, polio is highly infectious and can spread rapidly through contaminated water and food supplies. The disease, which mainly affects children, can attack the nervous system and cause paralysis. Between 5% and 10% of these paralytic polio cases are fatal.
As long as polio threatens children anywhere, children everywhere are at risk.
Only the global eradication of polio will ensure that no child suffers its devastating effects ever again.
We can build on the huge progress we've already made. In collaboration with our partners and with sufficient financial resources, we have an extraordinary opportunity to end polio for good.
Rotary and the global community need to support countries where polio remains endemic, countries that have had cases caused by variant poliovirus (circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus), and countries at risk for a return of polio. We can work to ensure that political leaders stay committed and thorough programs are in place so that every child is vaccinated — particularly those in marginalized communities.
As long as the poliovirus continues to circulate, the risk of the disease's global spread remains high. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.
It's crucial that we continue working to keep all countries polio-free.
Resources
Remember that you have facts and figures to use, documents to reference, and other materials available to help you learn more about polio and raise awareness.
What's next?
We need your help as we work toward polio eradication and strive to keep our promise to the children of the world.
In addition to what you can do individually, you can also take action with other members to help us end polio:
Work with your club to host an End Polio Now fundraiser in your community.
Suggest a speaker, such as someone who had polio, for a club meeting or a community event. Contact your district polio subcommittee chair or End Polio Now coordinator for help finding a speaker.
Register your World Polio Day events at endpolio.org(opens in a new tab) to show your support and help inspire other clubs.
Work with your club to host an activity on World Polio Day (24 October) or during World Immunization Week (24-30 April) to raise awareness.
Together, We End Polio
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