Rotary to observe World Polio Day today

Islamabad

World Polio Day is observed by Rotary International globally on 24th October, 2016 to honor Dr Jonas Salk – the developer of a vaccine against polio. It is because of the polio vaccine, that historic progress has been made toward a polio-free world, says a press release on Saturday.

Pakistan has made significant progress this year and polio cases are down almost 80% as compared to same time last year.

Events among thousands to be held by Rotary across the globe on World Polio Day – Oct. 24

Rotary’s flagship event, the first to be held at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It will be streamed live at 6:pm EST and then will be available for viewing anytime at endpolio.org.

In Islamabad, World Polio Day Summit -- 24th October, 2016 -- is being organised by Pakistan National PolioPlus Committee, Rotary International to enable all stakeholders (Government of Pakistan, WHO, Rotary International, UNICEF, BMGF) and funding partner countries to meet at a common forum reaching out on World Polio Day to raise awareness, funds and support to end polio – a vaccine preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.

Chair, Rotary International’s PolioPlus Committee Michael K McGovern expressed his confidence, that taking into account the missionary zeal with which the various stakeholders have been working; there is a realistic hope of eradicating polio from Pakistan by interrupting transmission of polio virus by the end of this year (2016). “The world is 99% polio free. We are ‘this close’ to ending polio and need the world leaders to support the ‘final push’ now while the goal has never been closer, or face the potential consequences of a new polio pandemic that could disable hundreds of thousand children within a decade,” said Aziz Memon, Rotary’s National PolioPlus Committee Chair for Pakistan. “We are very optimistic that the challenges will not deter us and soon Pakistan will become polio free.”

Polio is set to become the second human disease ever to be eliminated from the world (smallpox is the first). To date, Rotary has helped 193 countries stop the transmission of polio through the mass immunisation of children. Rotary’s new funding commitment, targets countries where children remain at risk of contracting this incurable, but totally vaccine-preventable, disease.

Rotary has provided this year (September 2016) more than $12 million in grant funding to polio eradication initiative partners UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, which work with the governments and Rotary club members of polio-affected countries to plan and carry out immunisation activities. Mass immunisations of children via the oral polio vaccine must continue until global eradication is achieved.

About Rotary: Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. In 1988, Rotary was joined by the WHO, UNICEF and the CDC to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Visit rotary.org and endpolio.org for more about Rotary and its efforts to eradicate polio. Video and still images will be available on the Rotary Media Center.

Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative nearly 30 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to 26 confirmed as of Sept. 19, 2016. To sustain this progress, and protect all children from polio, experts say $1.5 billion is urgently needed. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralysing disease could return to previously polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

Rotary has contributed more than $1.6 billion to ending polio since 1985 worldwide.