End Polio Now

Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.

Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.

Saturday 24^th October was World Polio Day. To mark this date Nailsworth Rotary helped Nailsworth in Bloom to plant crocus corms in the middle of Nailsworth.

We would like to thank William's Fish and Seafood Restaurant and Clive Chinnick of Chinnick Theatre Services for supporting End Polio Now by illuminating the tree in purple. This is the colour associated with eradicating polio because, when children receives their life-saving polio drops on mass polio immunisation days, their little finger is painted with a purple dye so it is clear they have received their polio vaccine.

For over 35 years, Rotary and its members have been committed to fighting to eradicate polio across the world. We are almost there but it needs more funds to finance the vaccine. Please help us by donating: https://www.endpolio.org/donate.