October 24 is World Polio Day. This year's observance is particularly significant because it marks the achievement of another milestone in Rotary's 41-year battle against polio - The African continent being declared polio-free.
Our Club has always been in the forefront of supporting the world campaign for polio eradication. In August, our Club contributed just over $9,000 to The Rotary Foundation's End Polio Fund bringing our Club's total contribution over the last 5 Rotary years to a little over $70,000..In 1988, there were an estimated 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries, when Rotary International and the World Health Organization launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.. In the year 2000, a record 550 million children - almost 10% of the world's population received the oral polio vaccine. By 2003 Rotary's total contribution to polio eradication exceeded $500 million and only six countries remained polio endemic.
In 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation begins its matching grants challenge by which any amount raised by Rotary for polio eradication is matched 2 to 1 by the Foundation. By 2011 Rotary's funding exceeded $1 billion and by the following year, only 3 countries - Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan were Polio endemic. This year 2020, saw Nigeria and the African continent, being declared polio-free. And only a few weeks ago, Dr. Tunji Funsho, chair of Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee, is one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential People for 2020 for his contributions to the eradication of wild polio in the African region. Read his story: http://endpol.io/tftime
In observance of World Polio Day, the Disrict has drawn up an elaborate program of virtual events, fundraisers, panel discussions, bike-athon, walkathons, Oktoberfest, and an online video contest. See more information: