Jeffry Cadorette, a past RI director and a member of the Rotary Club of Media, Pennsylvania, USA, plunged two miles (3.2 km) from an airplane as part of the Drop to Zero skydive for polio eradication, which generated more than $2.5 million for Rotary’s PolioPlus Fund. Not everyone is willing to jump out of a plane to raise money for polio eradication, but each year, Rotary members and supporters are inspired to contribute and find creative ways to fundraise so children can be protected against polio.
These fundraising efforts support a global network of polio workers and other important eradication activities. Thanks to Rotary and our partners, nearly 3 billion children have been vaccinated against polio, and more than 19 million people who otherwise would have been paralyzed can walk today. Although we still face challenges in the fight against polio, we’re getting closer to eradicating wild poliovirus. Help Rotary and our partners bring this devastating disease to an end. Contributions are matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Rotary and our partners seize the moment to achieve
a polio-free world | The world may never have a better chance than now to eradicate polio, according to Aidan O’Leary, polio eradication director for the World Health Organization. Before polio can be considered eradicated, the number of cases must reach zero and no virus can be detected in the environment. During the first nine months of 2021, just two cases of polio caused by the wild virus were recorded — one each in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the two countries where wild polio is still endemic. Environmental testing throughout those countries has also shown significantly less wild poliovirus in water and sewage samples.
O’Leary explains how we can protect our progress against polio and reach more children with a new polio vaccine and a new Global Polio Eradication Initiative strategy. This strategy aims to address our remaining challenges, including vaccine hesitancy, political uncertainty, and the difficulties of continuing vaccinations during a pandemic. Read more from O’Leary about the determination and support it will take to overcome today’s challenges and achieve a polio-free world. |
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