Tuesday,Oct 24th, has been designated as World Polio Day, celebrating one of the greatest success stories of modern medicine.
Polio and the resulting paralysis, once the most feared illness in the USA and other countries is no longer a threat to the majority of the human population.
Due to scientific breakthroughs, the development of effective polio vaccines and the worldwide efforts of numerous health care workers and organizations, the total eradication of polio is feasible in the near future.
Some of the many highlights of the fight against polio include:
- A 99% reduction in the incidence of polio infections and related paralysis worldwide.
- The elimination of endemic polio in all but three countries in the world.
- The extinction of 2 out of 3 virus strains causing polio.
- The last polio outbreak outside of the three endemic countries was in 2014.
- The last reported case of community acquired polio in the USA was in 1979
World Polio Day is a celebration of the success of the fight against polio and the ongoing efforts to eliminate this once dreaded illness.
The Rotary Clubs of Bowling Green take pride in the fact that as part of Rotary International they have been a part of this effort. Rotary International, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The World Health Organization (WHO), the CDC, and UNICEF have been the major sponsors for this effort to end polio in our lifetime.
Please note that any donations to the Rotary International END POLIO charity will be tripled by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation .
