India being polio-free is proof Rotary International (RI) is capable of not only tackling one of the world’s most difficult health challenges, and its work is also bringing the world to the threshold of polio eradication.
India has not had a reported case of polio in two years, and in February 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed India from the list of polio-endemic countries. If continuing tests of polio cases recorded through Jan. 13 continue to yield negative results, WHO will declare India has interrupted transmission of indigenous wild poliovirus for the second consecutive year.
However, there is still work to be done.
While polio remains endemic in only three countries – Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan – non-endemic countries remain at risk for cases imported from those three areas, so immunization must continue everywhere to ensure polio is eradicated worldwide.
Rotarians around the world know that every little bit of support helps.
Along with the many services and support the Rotary Club of 100 Mile House provides to its community, it also helps support RI.
Rotarian Stephen Pellizzari, who is the RI director on the local club’s executive, says working toward the eradication of polio continues to be one of Rotary International's main goals.
“It’s always ongoing.”
Local Rotary members contribute to this global cause through a portion of the membership fees, individual donations to RI, and sometimes from its smaller club events, he adds.
“We have fun little club things that go on where we'll say, “OK, today the [sergeant fines] money is going for polio research’.”
Children Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly contagious viral disease, ranging from mild to severe infection, followed by a paralysis in some parts of the body, especially the lower limbs among children. It tends to spread in the spring and summer until the end of the fall season.
In 1988, a global initiative was launched to prevent polio with participation from 166 delegates from WHO member states. With this initiative, millions of children were saved through vaccination campaigns.
Since 1988, the number of polio cases has declined more than 99 per cent around the world.
Oct. 24 of each year has been set to be the World Polio Day and people around the globe will promoting the international effort to eradicate the devastating disease.
Although new polio cases are at an all-time low – there were fewer than 180 known cases worldwide in 2012 – a funding gap has already curtailed scheduled immunization activities in polio-affected countries. If eradication fails and polio rebounds, up to 200,000 children per year could be paralyzed.
This is why Rotarians around the world continue to be vigilant about funding the international polio eradication program.