World Polio Day took place on October 24. Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than thirty-five years and achieving the goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has helped reduce polio cases by 99.9% since their first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralysing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a rôle in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but it is crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within ten years, polio could paralyse as many as 200,000 children each year.
Rotary is pleased to announce that, with the kind permission of the owners, the Hub on Rye Hill, St Mary’s Church Rye and Rye Castle Museum Ypres Tower, all of these buildings will be lit in purple during this week in recognition of world polio day on October 24.
Thanks go to these organisations for their ongoing support of the local Rotary club. Club president Eric Bourne said: “There are now a number of sites in our community planted with purple crocus as part of Rotary campaign to end polio, including Valley Park, East Guldeford, Strand Quay and now the Hub on Rye Hill. The colour purple is used to mark the child’s finger after vaccination.”
Image Credits: Martin Bruce , Kt bruce .