Support Rotary Efforts to End Polio -- Coins for Polio

On Saturday October 18 you may see a Rotarian collecting coins in front of a Port Perry business. The Rotarian will be collecting coins as part of Rotary’s 35 year old program to wipe out polio. September 18 is the start of End Polio week. Rotary efforts to eradicate polio are carried out in partnership with organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation. 

The past 35 years have seen world polio cases fall from several hundred thousand per year to a few hundred per year. Polio is now endemic in only 3 countries in the world – Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.  Positive progress continues in the latter two countries. In Pakistan progress towards eradication is slower as new cases are found in areas where violence prevails or local leaders oppose vaccination of children. 

2013 was marked a major milestone in the End Polio campaign-India was declared polio free after two years of no new cases. At one time India was considered to be the greatest eradication challenge. 

You may have read that in the past year there have been new polio outbreaks in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. There was rapid response as world resources were mobilized to inoculate millions of children in the affected areas- it is a tried and true method to arrest outbreaks. It is believed the polio virus was carried to these areas by individuals from endemic countries.

Your donations will be matched. The Gates Foundation donates two dollars to the vaccination programs for every dollar that Rotary raises. So your coins can make a real difference and help end polio worldwide.