Posted on Nov 01, 2021
There's still time to support World Polio Day
 
The Rotary community showed its collective support for World Polio Day on 24 October by raising funds and advocating for polio eradication. There’s still time to make a contribution to PolioPlus in honor of World Polio Day.
 

If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t miss Rotary’s World Polio Day Global Update, which provides important news about eradication efforts and explains why continued support is critical to protecting our progress toward ending polio forever. New this year: Our Facebook page and YouTube channel feature a World Polio Day video playlist, so you can watch and share individual segments from the Global Update.
 
The world may never have a better chance than now to eradicate polio, according to Aidan O’Leary, polio eradication director for the World Health Organization. Before polio can be considered eradicated, the number of cases must reach zero and no virus can be detected in the environment. During the first nine months of 2021, just two cases of polio caused by the wild virus were recorded — one each in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the two countries where wild polio is still endemic. Environmental testing throughout those countries has also shown significantly less wild poliovirus in water and sewage samples.

O’Leary explains how we can protect our progress against polio and reach more children with a new polio vaccine and a new Global Polio Eradication Initiative strategy. This strategy aims to address our remaining challenges, including vaccine hesitancy, political uncertainty, and the difficulties of continuing vaccinations during a pandemic. Read more from O’Leary about the determination and support it will take to overcome today’s challenges and achieve a polio-free world.
 
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