World Polio Day

Date: 

Sat, 23/10/2021 - 09:00 to 18:05

Time: 

09:00 to 18:05

Cost: 

NONE

Contact name: 

Ronnie Smith

Contact email: 

Venue: 

Epsom Market Place
Epsom
GB

The Rotary Club of Epsom will mark historic progress toward a polio-free world while urging the community to help end the paralyzing disease   The event is among thousands to be held by Rotary clubs around the world for World Polio Day, which is on 24 October 2021 On Saturday 23rd October 2021 Rotary members in Epsom are taking action for World Polio Day to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.   There will be a stand in the Epsom Market Place, by the Clocktower, with members of the Epsom Rotary Club providing information on polio and the work being done to eradicate it. When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. We’ve made great progress against the disease since then. Today, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9 percent, and just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we remain committed to the end. With polio nearly eradicated, Rotary and its partners must sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk. Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total yearly contribution of $150 million.  Past Epsom Rotary Club President, Veronica Smith, is organizing the event and hopes that members of the local community will come and visit the stand and give support to this very worthy cause. Rotary has contributed more than $2.2 billion to ending polio since 1985. About RotaryRotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbours, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who unite and take action to create lasting change in communities around the globe. For more than 115 years, Rotary’s people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to improve lives through service. From promoting literacy and peace to providing clean water and improving health care, Rotary members are always working to better the world. Visit endpolio.org to learn more about Rotary and the fight to eradicate polio.