Polio Plus
Decades
ago, polio outbreaks were a
constant threat around the
world. After the introduction of
polio vaccines by Jonas Salk and
Albert Sabin and a steadfast
immunization effort, these
outbreaks became part of history
in most of the world.
Yet many still live under the
threat of polio, which is why
Rotary and its global partners
are committed to reaching every
child with the vaccine and
ending this disease worldwide.
Major gains have been made in
the global fight against polio:
-
In
the 1980s, 1,000 children
were infected by the disease
every day in 125 countries.
Today, polio cases have
declined by 99 percent, with
fewer than two thousand
cases reported in 2006.
-
Two billion children have
been immunized, five million
have been spared disability,
and over 250,000 deaths from
polio have been prevented.
Rotary
International is the world's
first service club organization.
Its more than 1.2 million
members volunteer their time and
talent to further the Rotary
motto, Service Above Self.
Rotary at
work in Ethiopia
