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World Polio Day Proclaimed in Davidson by the Rotary Club and Town

by | Oct 30, 2024

The Rotary Club of Davidson, in collaboration with the Town of Davidson, has issued a proclamation designating October 24, 2024, as Rotary International World Polio Day. This proclamation underscores the ongoing global effort to eradicate polio, a potentially fatal infectious disease that primarily affects children under five years old. Polio, which spreads through contaminated water and can attack the nervous system, has been the target of Rotary’s eradication efforts for over 35 years. Since Rotary’s first vaccination project in the Philippines in 1979, polio cases worldwide have decreased by 99.9%.

Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Additionally, Rotary’s advocacy has played a crucial role in securing over $10 billion in government contributions to the cause. As of September 2024, wild poliovirus remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, the fight against polio continues, as other countries have experienced outbreaks of poliovirus variants in areas with low immunization rates.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), of which Rotary is a founding partner, has been instrumental in reducing wild poliovirus cases from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to just 6 reported cases in 2021. Despite this progress, vigilance remains crucial, as the World Health Organization warns that countries with weak public health systems or travel links to endemic countries are still at risk of polio importation.

Recent events highlight the ongoing challenges in polio eradication. In Gaza, the detection of variant poliovirus type-2 and a confirmed case in a 10-month-old child have prompted emergency vaccination campaigns. Rotary International has committed $500,000 to support these efforts through a dedicated Polio Outbreak Response Fund

The Rotary Club of Davidson encourages all citizens to recognize the importance of World Polio Day and support ongoing efforts to achieve a polio-free world. Contributions to Rotary’s PolioPlus fund directly support vaccination campaigns and surveillance activities crucial for maintaining progress towards global polio eradication.

For more information about World Polio Day and how to support polio eradication efforts, please contact the Rotary Club of Davidson.

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