Polio Plus
Polio Plus
Did you know that Rotary’s signature project End Polio Now was the brainchild of an Australian? The 1978-79 Rotary International President Sir Clem Renouf AM came up with the idea of eradicating Polio. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yWjt7MO8h8). As Australians, this is something we can be very proud of.
Rotary started the fight against polio in 1979 with a major project to vaccinate 6 million children in the Philippines.
Rotary International launched PolioPlus in 1985, the first and largest internationally coordinated private-sector support of a public health initiative.
In 1988 Rotary International and the World Health Organization launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
What has been achieved since the program was initiated by Rotary International in 1988?
- Polio was endemic in 125 countries, it is now only endemic in 2 countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan
- An estimated 350,000 children were paralysed or died by contracting Polio in 1988, and in 2024 there were only 92 cases
- Over 2.5 billion children have been immunised, and over 20 million people are able to walk now who otherwise would have been paralysed by Polio.
The Polio Plus effort has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide and we won’t stop until we end the disease for good. The fight is not yet over!
Why is it important to continue the immunisation program?
Although Polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyse as many as 200,000 children each year.
Eradicating polio is the promise Rotary has made to the children of the world.
Your donation is vital to assist the world to win this battle. All donations are tax deductable.
You can make a donation by clicking on the following link: https://my.rotary.org/en/polioplus-fund
The Polio Plus Coordinator for D9815 is Tony Laycock. Tony is a member of the Rotary Club of Drouin. Tony can be contacted by email: tonylaycock.rotary@gmail.com
Exchange Rates
Each month, Rotary International sets its official exchange rate, which applies for the whole of that month. The exchange rate applies to both donations and grants. To find the current exchange rate, go to https://my.rotary.org/en/exchange-rates