On October 21, Mayor Justin Towndale read the Proclamation of World Polio Week, marking the city’s commitment to polio eradication efforts. The ceremony included the raising of Rotary’s End Polio Now flag in front of the Justice Building at 340 Pitt Street, attended by students from St. Matthew Catholic Secondary School.
Jennifer Deschamps, past president and current secretary of the Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise, highlighted the significance of youth involvement. “The City of Cornwall’s annual recognition of World Polio Day is a perfect opportunity for youth to learn more about polio and Rotary’s efforts to eradicate it. This year it was a pleasure to be joined by very interested students from St. Matthew.”
Bette Miller, Past District Governor and Chair of Public Image for the club, emphasized the ongoing risk of the disease despite local eradication. “Having students attend the flag raising was important. Even if polio is gone from Cornwall, it is a highly contagious disease and only a plane ride away. An unvaccinated traveler exposed to the virus can carry it here.”
Miller also reflected on Rotary’s progress and commitment “Since 1985, Rotary has seen a decline from 350,000 annual cases to just 54 in 2024, eradicating two of the three wild polio strains. We are so close, but polio remains only a plane ride away until we can eliminate the last remaining strain,” she added.
The week also featured a hybrid presentation on October 18 at the Best Western Parkway Inn, where international Rotary leaders provided updates on the End Polio Now campaign. Rotary has pledged to raise $50 million annually for global eradication efforts, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation matching the commitment 2:1.
Rotary’s efforts have already immunized over 3 billion children, preventing 19 million cases of paralysis and ensuring that vaccinations protect 650,000 people annually. “The fight to eradicate polio began more than 35 years ago,” said Miller, “and we are now so close to making it only the second highly contagious disease to be eradicated—smallpox being the first.”
