On Monday, October 23rd, World Polio Day, Mayor Justin Towndale will read the Proclamation of World Polio Week and oversee the raising of Rotary’s End Polio Now flag. This will take place at 10:00 am in front of Cornwall’s Justice Building where he fountain will be illuminated and the banner will grace the clock tower.
In 1985, Rotarians made a promise to all of the children of the world to make Polio Eradication its number one priority. This promise includes Rotarians around the world and, in particular, the 25,700 women and men of the 737 Rotary Clubs in Canada, including the members of the two Rotary Clubs right here in Cornwall.
When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1985, polio paralyzed more than 1,000 children every day. Polio cases have dropped by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 1988 in 125 countries to just 7 cases of wild poliovirus in 2023; five cases in Afghanistan and two in Pakistan. Rotary and its partners remain committed to the end and remind everyone that polio is only a plane ride away until eradication is complete.
Since 1985, Rotary has contributed more than US$2.5 billion, and its members have logged countless volunteer hours to help immunize more than 3 billion children. Today, 19 million people who might have become paralyzed are able to walk on earth. Each year, vaccinations prevent an estimated 650,000 cases of polio. In 2019, more than 430 million children in more than 40 countries were vaccinated using 1.2 billion doses of oral polio vaccine.
To sustain this progress, and protect all children from polio, Rotary has committed to raising US $50 million per year in support of global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match Rotary’s commitment 2:1. Other partners in the fight to end polio include the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), UNICEF, and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance. https://polioeradication.org/who-we-are/
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbours, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who unite and take action to create lasting change in communities around the globe. For more than 118 years, Rotary’s people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to improve lives through service. From promoting literacy and peace to providing clean water and improving health care, Rotary members are always working to better the world.
Please visit https://polioeradication.org/polio-today/ to learn more about Rotary and the fight to eradicate polio.
