Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children.  Since 1985 Rotary has been a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The other partners are the World Health Organisation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.

Thanks to this partnership, the number of polio cases has been slashed by more than 99 percent, preventing five million instances of childhood paralysis and 250,000 deaths. When Rotary began its eradication work, polio infected more than 350,000 children annually. In 2008, fewer than 2,000 cases were reported worldwide.

But the polio cases represented by that final 1 percent will be the most difficult and expensive to prevent for a variety of reasons, including geographical isolation, worker fatigue, armed conflict, and cultural barriers.

Further information about the Rotary International’s campaign can be found at www.rotary.org/endpolio

The final mile is the most difficult - that’s why it’s so important to generate the funding needed to finish the job.