Time flies—once again it is World Polio Day. Interestingly, this year it occurs as the world is contending with another virus, COVID-19. But, while our attention is focused on the current disease, we cannot lose track of a scourge that sickened and killed millions over the course of the 20th century and which is always just one plane flight away from our children and grandchildren as long as it remains in circulation in the wild.
We are now down to just 4 countries in which polio is endemic: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Iran. Nigeria has now been without cases for 4 years. Iran, which is still on the list has not had a case for over 5 years. However, Pakistan and Afghanistan, after dipping to lows in 2017, have been rising. Pakistan’s cases grew from just 8 in 2017 to a total of 147 in 2019 and the rate has increased in 2020. Afghanistan had a total of 14 cases in 2017, but more than doubled in 2019 to 29 and is currently at 47 in 2020.1 We are so close to finishing the job that we cannot risk losing ground.
Click the Read More button to learn more about Polio and how you can help in the fight to eradicate it.
Those of us who are more seasoned probably knew polio survivors and may remember the fear with which parents met each summer when their children faced the possibility of infection through something as simple as swimming in the local pool or in a local river or lake. Happily, we in America no longer face that fear, but many in the world still do.
Polio will be just the second disease eradicated from the earth after smallpox—that took thousands of years to accomplish. If we succeed, we will rid the world of polio in less than a century.
If we are to be successful, it is incredibly important to keep up the pressure—support End Polio Now!
Yes, we are currently fighting COVID-19 and continuing the fight against polio under those circumstances is difficult, however, we must keep up the fight and the Rotary Foundation needs your dollars. To make a donation, you can make a direct gift to the foundation through your MyRotary account at www.rotary.org. Every Rotarian has a MyRotary account—if you haven’t used it, you will find a lot of good information about Rotary and its activities, as well as a detailed report of your giving, which can be useful at tax time.
If you prefer, you can also make a donation to the Rotary Foundation through our club.* You can make a gift at the time that you renew your club membership. Either way, it is important for every Rotarian to contribute every year.
Please help Rotary to prevent and eliminate this debilitating disease.
1. Lancia, Floyd. “Polio Headlines, 6 October”
*If you prefer to make a donation to End Polio Now by credit card through the Beaumont Rotary Foundation, you can use this link: https://www.sagepayments.net/eftcart/forms/donate.asp?M_id=481429125731.