Polio – what does that word mean to you? To some of us, those of a somewhat more advanced age, it will likely conjour up mental pictures of children walking with calipers and patients confined to an iron lung. To younger people polio may mean little or nothing. Polio was a fearsome and much feared disease which particularly affected children, a disease eliminated from Britain (and Cyprus) and most of the world.
 
This remarkable feat was achieved thanks to almost universal vaccination (the first vaccine came out in 1953 and earned its inventor, Jonas Salk, a Nobel prize and the gratitude of millions). Despite cynicism about covid vaccines it has to be acknowledged that vaccines have transformed disease control and in the case of polio made its complete eradication possible.
 
In1988 the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was founded and since then polio cases have been reduced by 99.9%.Rotary International has been a part of the Initiative since its inception and Rotary Clubs have contributed the staggering sum of $2.1 billion. Many Rotary volunteers have participated in mass vaccination programmes across the world.
 
Now polio is only endemic in 2 countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan ( and Pakistan is well on the way to being polio free). It is tempting to think of polio as ‘their problem’ and that we need do no more. But until polio is eradicated- until it ceases to exist anywhere – we cannot rest. Traces of polio virus were found in London water last year and, because polio is no long the feared spectre it was, vaccination rates have dropped, leaving people vulnerable.
 
Every Rotary Club in the world – all 14,000 – in Cyprus, UK Germany, Russia ,Pakistan among many in virtually every country – is pledged to continuing the fight against polio until it is completely eradicated.
 
Rotary Clubs see defeating polio as ‘our fight’. We in Paphos Aphrodite Rotary Club regularly send funds to buy vaccine ans support its use. Indeed, every time we have a guest speaker we donate 100 euros in their name.
 
So, when you see one of our members collecting for the End Polio Now campaign, please give generously. Help us to make this only the second disease to be wiped off the earth. We are so close to winning but inevitably the last round takes the greatest effort.
 
Quiz question: What is the only disease that has been completely eradicated?
 
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