ROTARY'S CONTINUED FIGHT AGAINST POLIO

Members of the Rotary club of Kirkcudbright were delighted to see the announcement on Friday, 4 August by the Department of International Development of a new commitment of £100 million pounds to support global polio eradication efforts. The news of the United Kingdom’s continued leadership is welcome and appreciated by the more than 50,000 members of Rotary clubs throughout Great Britain and Ireland who have who have dedicated more than 30 years and contributed over £30 million toward the goal of a polio free world.

The United Kingdom’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment in the global polio eradication effort. There have only been 9 cases of endemic polio confirmed in just two countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) to date in 2017. We would not be so close to the goal of a polio free world without the longstanding leadership and investment of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom’s vital support will ensure that we conquer the wild polio virus by continuing to immunize 45 million children annually, including those who are most vulnerable and are living in the most challenging circumstances, thereby depriving the virus of pockets where it can survive and spread.

Rotarians in the United Kingdom and around the world are committed to working side by side with Britain, our Global Polio Eradication Initiative Partners, and countries around the world to end polio forever. We are working to raise $50 million annually for the next three years. These funds will be matched on a two-to-one basis by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We will also continue to shine a spotlight on this issue to ensure that other stakeholders do their part to provide the political and financial support needed to achieve our shared goal of a world without polio. At our June 2017 International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, we hosted global stakeholders who collectively committed US$1.2 billion to End Polio. We will continue to “beat the drum” to encourage global commitment until the world is polio free.