About Polio and Rotary's Quest to End It

• A crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease, polio (poliomyelitis) still strikes children mainly under the age of five in countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. 
• Polio can cause paralysis and sometimes death.  Because there is no cure for polio, the best protection is prevention. For as little as US$0.60 worth of vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life. 
• It can cause paralysis within hours, and polio paralysis is almost always irreversible. In the most severe cases, polio attacks the motor neurons of the brain stem, causing breathing difficulty or even death. 
• Historically, polio has been the world’s greatest cause of disability. 
• If polio isn’t eradicated, the world will continue to live under the threat of the disease. More than 10 million children will be paralyzed in the next 40 years if the world fails to capitalize on its US$4 billion global investment in eradication. 

Did you know that more than 10 million children will be paralyzed in the next 40 years if the world fails to eradicate polio? Embark on a virtual tour of “Whatever Happened to Polio?” an exhibit of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History that chronicles the history of the disease and efforts to eradicate it. The exhibit is now on permanent display at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation.

Many people are unfamiliar with Rotary’s contribution to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, either because they aren’t members of Rotary clubs or because they’re are new Rotary club members, live in a polio-free country, or simply haven’t kept up with the ongoing effort. Organize a presentation to share the latest news on Rotary’s progress toward polio eradication, share remaining challenges, and discuss ways to play a role in the final push to rid the world of polio. 
 

• As we close in on polio, the work of polio eradication becomes more difficult. The support of global, national, and local leaders is critical for conquering polio. Yet the disease’s strongholds remain in the world’s poorest countries, many of which require greater levels of support to reach the goal. A small but dedicated group of Rotary club members is working with national governments and multinational organizations to encourage them to commit the political and financial support required to eradicate polio.