Rotary clubs together for World Polio Day
Rotary clubs together for World Polio Day
Rotary members across Great Britain and Ireland are putting on a show for World Polio Day (Wednesday 24th Oct). Alongside fundraising activities, Rotarians are taking to the internet to create a social media trend with the aim of highlighting the need to eradicate the crippling and incurable disease.
“Since the mid-1980s, Rotary has been vaccinating, fundraising and working with governments across the world to bring an end to polio. We may appear to be just a group of volunteers but thanks to our commitment, determination and compassion for others, we have succeeded in bring the number of endemic countries from 125 to just three. That’s millions of children saved from a crippling and paralysing disease.”
On World Polio Day, Rotarians across GB and Ireland will join Rotarians across the world with a major social media push using the following hashtags:
#rotaryendpolio
#rotary
#endpolio
Everyone is invited to join in and Tweet, Facebook and otherwise connect with people who could help support the End Polio Now campaign. It is hoped that a trend will be set which will be eye-catching, educational and motivational, encouraging people to contact local Rotary clubs and find out how they can help. There is also a petition to sign at endpolionow.org.
Rotary was joined by World Health Organisation, CDC and UNICEF to create the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, after demonstrating what could be achieved with a sustained approach to administering vaccinations.
Activities go well beyond fundraising. 34 Rotarians from Britain are going to India next month where they will join local Rotarians and immunise 170million children on November 5th. Each child will be given two drops of the oral vaccine which can save them from polio. India is being closely monitored as it has had no new cases since January 2011. A full three years without any new outbreaks will mean it can be classed as polio free. Currently, it is off the endemic list and is continuing to protect children to prevent any recurrence of the disease.
President John appealed: “Everyone can help rid the world of polio. You can donate to End Polio Now, you can contact your local club and support their fundraisers and you could even join Rotarians in India to vaccinate children.
“Please track us on Twitter and follow us on Facebook and join in the social media campaign this Wednesday. You can also sign the online petition at endpolionow.org.”
Polio, or infantile paralysis, is an acute, viral, infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route. Poor sanitation increases the risk of picking it up. In countries like India, migrant populations which have been displaced by conflict to seeking work can carry the disease, presenting an additional risk to previously clear areas.
You can find out more about our commitment to ending polio here.
Track RIBI on Twitter: @RotaryRIBI
Follow RIBI on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryRIBI
Monday, 22 October 2012