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Rotary Club of Augusta Raises Awareness of Polio World Polio Day on October 24th

Staff Report From Georgia CEO

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024

World Polio Day is on October 24, 2024, and the Rotary Club of Augusta is joining Rotary International in raising awareness and support for the global effort to eradicate polio. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary International has been instrumental in reducing polio cases by 99.9% since its first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.

Rotary’s commitment to polio eradication began on September 29, 1979, when volunteers administered oral polio vaccines to children at a health center in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati, Philippines. Since that milestone, Rotary members have contributed over $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy has also encouraged governments worldwide to contribute more than $10 billion to the cause. 

While polio remains endemic in only two countries—Afghanistan and Pakistan—the fight is far from over. Continued efforts are essential to keep other countries polio-free. If eradication efforts stopped today, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children every year within a decade.
 
In collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary has made significant progress in fighting polio, despite challenges such as rising vaccine hesitancy and the global pandemic. “Eradicating polio requires the dedication and generosity of nations and individuals around the world, and Rotarians are again leading the way,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Together, we are moving closer to our shared goal of ending polio and ensuring that families will never have to fear. 
 
In recognition of World Polio Day, the Augusta Rotary Club invited, Dr. Rodger MacArther, an infectious disease expert at Wellstar MCG, to speak to club members about Polio and other global health issues including HIV, sepsis, influenza and other diseases today.