End Polio Now

Rotary's remarkable commitment. Working with an incredible network of people, we really are so close to eradicating polio.


Return to the Rotary Foundation homepage

On these pages you can find links to useful resources such as Youtube videos from the World Health Organisation, photos of our Rotary clubs' activities around the district, information on the history of polio, our district newsletters, the order form for the crocus corms, news items on the websites of Rotary in Britain and Ireland and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

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World Polio Day Monday 24th October 2022

download the full World Polio Day Toolkit from the Rotary in GB&I members homepage 

Or download a few selected items from the Toolkit here:

pdf poster and '5 reasons'

Facebook images

FactGraphic - 2nd human disease

FactGraphic - reduced by 99.9%

Photo 1, Photo 2

Suggested text for social media posts

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Rotary’s involvement in the programme to make Polio only the second disease to be eradicated from the world dates back to 1979 when Rotary funded a Polio immunisation programme of 6 million children in the Philippines.

In 1985 Rotary International committed to lead a worldwide campaign to eradicate the disease. At this time, Polio was endemic in 125 countries and over 1,000 children were paralysed worldwide everyday!

The cost of programme has been huge. The EndGame Strategy launched in May 2019 by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and which cover 2019 to 2023 states that the campaign will cost 4.2 billion US dollars and that of that amount 3.27 billion US dollars is still needed. Read more about this on the polio news pages of the Rotary in Britain and Ireland website.

Rotary Clubs in our Rotary District continue to support the polio campaign, raising funds and raising awareness, lighting up buildings, planting crocus corms with local schools, holding charity golf days, hosting world polio day dinners to name just a few.

Over the last few years our clubs have raised a significant amount of money, all of which has been matched 2 for 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

From July 2015 to June 2019 we have raised 267,231 US dollars matched by 534,462 US dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation! 


Working in partnership

Rotary is a leading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership led by national governments with five partners – the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide.





See the Latest Figures on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative website THIS WEEK


Please help us to END POLIO NOW, we need to Finish The Job.


updated July 2019 - K Eveleigh

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End Polio Now sub-pages:

Purple 4 Polio Crocuses for 2024

more Continuing the success of our crocus planting over the last few years, find out how your Rotary club or community group can help paint District 1090 in the Thames Valley even more Purple4Polio in the Spring of 2024.

Polio Eradication - useful resources and links

more District resources, links to RIBI and RI pages and to the World Polio Eradication Initiative pages

using an iron lung

The History of Polio

more the history of polio, the vaccine and the eradication programme

Ade Adepitan

Polio Ambassadors across Britain and Ireland

more Rotary's polio campaign is supported by many famous faces

Crocuses in Bloom around the District

more All the hard work in October and November was worth it - the Thames Valley turns purple

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Rotary Foundation - Rotary's own charity

back The Rotary Foundation is a not for profit corporation enabling Rotarians and their partners to achieve sustainable solutions to global problems. Widely recognised as being in the top 5 for Best Value Charity Giving, it celebrated its 1st 100 years in 2017