A man with polio paralysis seen in Kampala November 2011.
I contracted polio when I was 8 years old living in Kenya. I was lucky in that I did not get any paralysis. It was not until I joined Rotary in 2003 that I found out the wonderful work that Rotary has done to eliminate this disease from the planet.
By joining Rotary you will be able to join in the National Immunization Days administering the vaccine in countries such as India. There are only 2 countries left in the world now that are endemic to polio and we are this close to making Pakistan and Afghanistan polio free in the next year or four.
Above: The late Rtn. Jon Deisher from the Rotary Club of Anchorage Alaska in India on a National Immunization Day. Met Jon on the Rotary Fellowship on the Internet ROTI.
Rotary, along with our partners, has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. We are close to eradicating polio, but we need your help. Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, here are some ways to make a global impact and protect children against polio forever.
GIVE
Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries. For as little as $0.60, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.
Your gift to the PolioPlus Fund is eligible for Paul Harris Society recognition. You can maximize support for polio eradication within your club and your community by organizing a fundraiser. Get some ideas.
BUILD AWARENESS
Help get the word out about our efforts to fight polio.
- Make it personal by posting about polio on Facebook or Twitter.
- Keep informed by following our campaign to end polio on Facebook and Twitter.
- Harness the power of the press by issuing a press release or sending a letter to the editor.
BECOME AN ADVOCATE
Make sure policymakers know how important it is to eliminate polio. You can:
- Sign a petition urging world leaders to fund the final push to end polio.
- Write to your government officials, or better yet, invite them to a Rotary meeting to learn what they can do to support our fight against polio.