I would like to follow up on the commentary written by Frank Dabbs headlined Commentary: Recalling the polio pandemics.
The polio virus has slowed, but not gone; there is still live polio in our world, and it’s just an airplane ride away.
In 1988, polio affected 125 countries and paralyzed 350,000 people every year, most of them children.
In response to this suffering, Rotary International began planning to eradicate polio from the face of the earth by immunizing all the world’s children against it.
Since then, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine, which was invented in Canada, and had their little fingers painted purple to show they have received the vaccine.
By August 2019, the continent of Africa was declared polio-free.
There are still two remaining countries in our world which have live polio: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Volunteers are still working tirelessly through the rural towns and villages vaccinating children against this crippling, deadly disease.
Rotary International — in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — are working hard to eradicate polio from the world, so that no child will ever again be paralyzed by or die from the wild poliovirus.
Every Oct. 24, Rotarians around the globe celebrate with fundraising efforts to support the END POLIO NOW campaign, and donors paint their pinkie fingernails purple to remember the children who are still receiving this life-saving vaccine.
“Eradicating polio will be one of the most significant public health accomplishments in history, and we are committed to helping reach that goal with Rotary as one of our key partners,” Bill Gates said.
The reality is that we aren’t there yet, it’s still only a plane ride away, but we are committed to completing this important work.
Mary Turner,
Olds
Turner is the governor-elect for Rotary District 5360, which runs from Ponoka to Cardston and Rocky Mountain House to Swift Current.
