October 17, 2024 · 0 Comments
By Sam Odrowski
World Polio Day is Oct. 24 and the Rotary Club of Orangeville is holding a flag-raising at Orangeville Town Hall.
Mayor Lisa Post will be in attendance to proclaim World Polio Day in the Town of Orangeville and raise the “End Polio Now” flag.
The flag-raising and proclamation recognize the efforts of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the fight for a polio-free world.
World Polio Day is a time when Rotary members, public health advocates and supporters of a polio-free world join forces to recognize the progress that has been made to end polio and look at what more needs to be done to eradicate the disease.
The only human disease ever to be eradicated is smallpox, so eliminating polio would be a historic achievement.
A recipient of funds from Rotary Club of Orangeville, Rotary International, has made the elimination of polio one of its most important goals. Rotary and its partners spearheaded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, and since then, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9 per cent.
There were over 350,000 cases annually in 1988, compared to just 12 cases in 2023.
However, there has been an uptick of cases in 2024, largely due to the geopolitical situation in the greater Middle East. There’s been 16 cases in Pakistan and 18 in Afghanistan as of Sept. 8, marking an almost 200 per cent rise in total cases this year when compared to the 12 last year.
Polio has also re-emerged in Gaza. A 10-month-old boy was recently paralyzed by poliovirus, marking the first case in the region in 25 years.
Over the years, the Rotary Club of Orangeville and the Rotary Club of Orangeville Highlands have both donated funds that have covered polio vaccinations for over 20,000 children worldwide.
The two local clubs remain committed partners in providing annual donations to combat the spread of polio through vaccination.
In response to the recent outbreak of polio in Gaza, an emergency vaccination campaign is being conducted in that region.
The first round of the campaign occurred from Sept. 1 to 12 and a second round is starting soon, with the goal of vaccinating at least 95 per cent of eligible children.
The campaign is being conducted by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in collaboration with several national health organizations.
Rotary International is committing $500,000 USD to support the campaign.
Historically, Canada has been a leading supporter of efforts to eradicate polio since its inception in 1988.
Last month, the Government of Canada announced a new contribution of $151 million over the next three years to support the work of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
This funding brings Canada’s total contributions to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to more than $1 billion.
The two local Rotary Clubs and Rotary International will continue their charitable efforts to the initiative until polio is eradicated globally.