Press Release:-
Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. There is no cure, ut it is preventable with a vaccine. Only two countries remain endemic. Shortened to Polio - it is a virus is spread person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and in some instances, lead to paralysis. Although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine – one which Rotary and our partners use to immunise over 2.5 billion children worldwide. Because of a 2-to-1 matching agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, that means that, each year, $150 million goes toward fulfilling Rotary’s promise to the children of the world: No child will ever again suffer the devastating effects of polio.
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. The goal to eradicate 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 paralysing disease.
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 paralyse as many as 200,000 children each year.
16 million people are walking today who would have been paralysed. A polio free world will save the global economy $40-55 billion in health costs within the next 20 years. Polio eradication would be one of history’s greatest public health achievements with polio following smallpox to become the second human disease eliminated from the world.
Narberth and Whitland Rotary are celebrating World Polio Day with three events. Rotarian Mary Adams has liaised with Narberth and Redhill Schools to ask pupils to dress in Purple for an Own Clothes Day. Narberth School are also painting painting pinkie fingers purple to donate that pupils have received their vaccine. This year children because of the pandemic to post their selfie photos of the day by following the Hashtags #MyEndPolio #WorldPOlioDay2021
Nia Ward Headteacher at Narberth School says “the highlight of the day is the children getting their pinkie - its surprising how this can really get them relating to children in other countries who receive a purple marker when they have been vaccinated so health workers know which children have had the vaccine.”
Diana Brook - Narberth's Rainbow Fairy has been responsible for getting Redhill High in Llandisilio onboard with the initiative. She said “ the children are Redhill are really excited to be involved with this”
Narberth and Whitland are also grateful to Sharon Whitehouse of Utopia Hair and Beauty for the loan of purple nail varnish and the Plas Hyfryd Hotel where they meet every Wed for Lighting up the Hotel in Purple for two weeks.
Redhill School
Huge thankyou to the pupils of Redhill High School who dressed in purple to highlight awareness of Rotary's #endpolionow2021 End Polio Now #WorldPolioDay #myendpolio raising £100 for the End Polio Now campaign for 2021. You all look amazing - well done. Narberth and Whitland Rotary Carol Whiteley Dave King Thats 500 Polio vaccinations they raised today - WELL DONE EVERYONE! purple is such a cool colour.
Narberth Junior School
World Polio Week - Own Clothes Day and #PurplePinkie at Narberth School with Narberth & Whitland Rotary for#endpolionow #endpolio Rotary International Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland
Plas Hyfryd Hotel
We meet every Wednesday at 7.30pm - to find out more about being a Rotary - come along and join us. A warm welcome awaits you
World Polio Day 24th October 2021.
Thank you to our wonderful schools for raising awareness and raising money for End Polio Now to ensure that vaccinations carry on, and we eradicate the world of Polio.
£272 = 1360 vaccinations for children worldwide.
Here's some photos of Narberth and Redhill schools this week.
Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland
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