Polio Plus

Rotary Has Almost Eliminated Polio
We are close to eradicating Polio in the world: since 1979, Rotary and its partners have reduced polio cases by 99.9%. Poliomyelitis is a contagious illness that can cause nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death. It mainly affects children under the age of 5. There is no cure but it is preventable with a vaccine. 
 
A telling timeline
1988 - Rotary and the WHO (World Health Organization) launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative: there were 350,000 cases in 125 countries
1994 - Polio is eradicated in the Americas
2000 - The Western Pacific region (from Australia to China) is declared polio-free
2003 - Six countries remain polio endemic: Afghanistan, Egypt, Indi, Niger, Nigeria and Pakistan
2006 - Only four remain: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, Pakistan
2009 - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledges $355 million: a total of $555 million are raised in a combined effort to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
2011 - Rotary's overall contribution reaches one billion Dollars
2012 - India surpasses 1 year without a recorded case
2014 - Polio cases are down over 99% since 1988
2023 - As of November 1, 2023, there have been only 6 active cases of Polio in the entire world. These are all from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
We are very close to eradicating Polio in the world!
 
Oral vs injectable vaccine (from Ken Robinson, Polio Plus Chair for District 5470)
Since January 1, 2000, the only Polio vaccine used in the United States is the injectable IPV (inactivated Polio vaccine.) However, this does not seem the best option in this race to eradicate Polio. In our fight against Polio, the switch to the injectable is not an option in many areas. Our supply system and cold chain are stretched to keep up with the storage and transit requirements of the oral polio vaccinations. Then there is the considerable additional effort to train a workforce to inject the vaccine and manage clean and antiseptic conditions for the equipment. 
 
Polio Plus
Bill GatesRotary remains committed to completing the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Until eradication is certified, we need your help to win this fight!