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Cumbria and Lancashire

24 October is World Polio Day

Polio is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5.   The virus is spread person to person, typically through contaminated water and in some instances leads to paralysis. 

Although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine – one which Rotary and our partners used to immunize over 3 billion children worldwide.   Thanks to their continued efforts, wild polio only circulates in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and polio cases have been reduced by 99.9% worldwide over the past 35-plus years.

Despite this progress, polio anywhere remains a threat everywhere – it is after all only a plane ride away. 

Recently  a case of polio was confirmed in a 10 month old child in Gaza which is of concern.  A humanitarian pause allowed the start of a 2 round polio vaccination campaign in Gaza to begin during September aimed at children.  Rotary International is committing US$500,000 to aid the campaign via a Polio Outbreak Response Fund.

On World Polio Day, 24 October, Rotary Clubs around the world help to promote the polio campaign and to raise funds to continue this fight.  Some clubs use the colour purple in their activities – this is because children have the tip of their little finger dyed purple so that vaccinators know who has received their vaccine. 

Image Rotary International : Children in Cote d’Ivoire showing their purple fingers during an Immunization campaign

Rotary Clubs in Cumbria & Lancashire will be undertaking various activities during October.  Church & Oswaldtwistle are selling and planting purple tulips, Furness Peninsula & several other clubs are planting purple crocuses, and Carnforth & Furness Peninsula are organizing a Walk a Mile event.  On World Polio Day Lytham Rotary are asking for support as some of their local cafes will be serving purple cakes as well as their usual offerings, and Lytham windmill will be lit up from 6.00pm.  Check out clubs Facebook pages for details of their events.  A list of our Rotary Clubs can be found here.

Further information about Polio can be found on our Polio Eradication page as well as visiting the  End Polio Now website.

There are different avenues to joining Rotary.  You can join your local Rotary Club or join Rotary Direct where you do not belong to a local club.  Organisations are welcome to join as Corporate members.  Visit our What is Rotary?  page to find out more about we do.  Our Membership Services pages contain links to our local clubs and  information about Clubs, Direct and Corporate Membership.  You can contact us by using the forms at the bottom of the Membership pages or the Contact button at the top of this page.