NEWS RELEASE

TURN CUMBERNAULD PURPLE

FOR WORLD POLIO DAY

ROTARY CLUB OF CUMBERNAULD FIGHTS TO END POLIO WORLDWIDE

Rotary Cumbernauld is aiming to TURN CUMBERNAULD PURPLE on Thursday, 24 October, to raise awareness of World Polio Day as part of Rotary’s 27-year mission to eradicate the crippling childhood disease polio.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that causes paralysis and is sometimes fatal.  As there is no cure, the best protection is prevention and for as little as 20p worth of vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.

Purple4Polio is one of the symbols Rotary International uses for its End Polio campaign. When a child gets immunised the little finger is dipped in a purple dye to show they have been treated, hence wearing purple, purple crocuses and Purple4Polio. Rotary has organised several different events on the 24th: Purple Pinkie (go along and try it!) in the Cumbernauld Centre, Antonine Centre and Tesco Craigmarloch, plus a Purple Tea Dance in the British Legion from 1-3pm.  Arria will be lighted purple thanks to NLC, several local organisations and businesses are keen to participate by lighting buildings or walkways, putting up purple balloons or window displays or by encouraging staff to wear purple.  YOU CAN DO THE SAME – perhaps by wearing purple, putting a purple light in your window, hanging some purple balloons outside your house, painting your nails purple, or even dyeing your hair if that’s your thing!  PLEASE DO SOMETHING IF YOU CAN.

Karen Morrison, President of Rotary Cumbernauld said “We hope everyone will support these events as this is a real opportunity for all members of our communities to do something simple, but vital, to help stop this horrible disease once and for all. Many of our older residents will remember the heart-rending pictures of young children (and adults) inside an iron lung to help them breathe, or crippled, or wearing calipers for the rest of their lives because of polio - and everyone will be aware that, worryingly, measles is now making a comeback largely due to lack of immunisation. We hope our efforts will help to raise awareness and engage everyone to help the fight”.

Polio cases in the world have reduced significantly since 1985 when Rotary took on the challenge of eradicating the polio virus in the world. Then the figure was 350,000 cases worldwide, today there are only 85 cases of the wild polio virus in only two countries - Afghanistan and Pakistan; in August 2019 Nigeria (and thus the African continent) celebrated being wild polio virus free.

It is Rotary's primary aim to eradicate the polio virus and rid the world of this terrible disease. The message to world leaders is clear: support the final push to achieve eradication now, while the goal has never been closer, or face the potential consequences of a new polio pandemic that could disable millions of children within a decade.