October 24th marks World Polio Day, a day to recognize the more than 35-year fight to end polio world-wide. This year, the Wakefield Rotary Club is again committing to helping eradicate the disease.
This week, Wakefield Rotarians recognized the past contributions of its members to the eradication efforts while re-committing to continue the efforts towards ending polio for good. Past Presidents Barbara Worley and Wendy Maguire reflected on the decades-long efforts from Wakefield Rotarians to combat polio via fundraising and education. Past President Jay Curley noted, “Although the world is so close to eradication, I know Rotarians will continue until polio is gone completely.”
According to Rotary’s polio educational website, “Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.”
The Wakefield club also commemorated World Polio Day by wearing themed shirts for the meeting and participating in a Purple Pinkie pledge, symbolizing how children in foreign countries often have their small fingers marked with purple dye to help health care workers make sure that no child goes without the vaccine.
Today, the world is 99.9% polio-free. Rotarians and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative across the globe engage communities to help finish the job and end this paralyzing disease. From encouraging vaccine acceptance, to sharing factual vaccination information, to calling on elected officials to fund polio eradication, there are so many ways in which the community can each support polio eradication efforts. Once eradicated, polio will be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated.