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“Polio is only a plane ride away. Complacency will put our children
and grand children at risk. We must not waver in our commitment
to eradicate this scourge.”
In Scotland, Rotarians have recently illuminated three prestigious
buildings, including Culzein Castle in Ayrshire.
The displays, taking place around Rotary’s 104th birthday on
Monday 23rd February, highlight an already historic year in
Rotary’s 20-year effort to eradicate polio, a goal more than 99 per-
cent achieved.
The incidence of polio infection has plunged from about 350,000
cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in 2008. More than two billion
children have been immunised in 122 countries, preventing an esti-
mated five million cases of paralysis and 250,000 deaths. Today,
polio remains endemic to only four countries: India, Pakistan,
Nigeria, and Afghanistan.
Polio eradication has been Rotary’s top priority for more than two
decades. The international humanitarian service organisation is a
spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative,
along with the World Health Organisation, the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.
Rotary club members worldwide have contributed more than $800
million and countless volunteer hours to the effort and are now
working aggressively to raise the $200 million needed to match
$355 million in challenge grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. To learn more about polio eradication, including how
to participate in this historic effort, visit:-
www.ribi.org/foundation/polio
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