PHOTOS: World Polio Day: Our Global Efforts Will Soon Totally Eliminate Polio – Rotary Polio Chair
Written By Precious Werner Ahiakwo
Today October 24th is world Polio day. World Polio Day is set aside by World Health Organization to highlight global efforts to eliminate polio and the importance of vaccination in protecting children from the disease.
It is also an opportunity to highlight the importance of all mothers, fathers, caregivers, health workers and Rotary International who play a key role in getting polio vaccines to children and their communities.
To mark the World Polio Day in Rivers State, over twenty Rotary Clubs in the state have staged an awareness walk to End Polio.
Member of the Board of Trustees of the Rotary Foundation, PDG Ijeoma Pearl Okoro, while addressing Rotarians during the Polio Sensitization Walk, asked them to also donate to the Polio fund so there will be vaccines to completely eliminate the Polio disease.
“Rotary is committed to end Polio. We will not rest until Polio is totally eradicated from within us. Our red or blue polos worn every 24th October will not end Polio, every Rotarian should continue to donate at least 5-10 thousand naira to the Rotary Polio Fund. The money will be used to get more vaccines to End Polio. We are 99.9%close to ending the Polio disease. Let’s put effort with our donations to completely kick the deadly disease out”.
On his part, the River State Rotary Polio Chair, Timi Bubagha said funds raised during the Rotary Charity concert show will be donated for the use of fighting to End Polio.
“On this day, we came out in our numbers as a club in Rivers State to stage a walk campaign, raising awareness on the killer disease. We have commissioned billboards to create more awareness. This is an annual commitment as Rotary Clubs. We have organized a Charity Concerts on Polio, with various popular music artists and comedians, and funds realized during the concert will be donated into the Polio fund to help fight against the killer Polio.”
The District 9141 Polio Chair, Arinze Akupue said “Tuesday, 24 October is World Polio Day, a chance to raise awareness and resources to help deliver a polio-free world in the very near term. Each donation made to Rotary’s End Polio Now effort is matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to maximise its effect. As such, if you give US$10 to the effort, as an example, the amount becomes US$30, and with that, 60 children will be vaccinated in the remaining affected countries.”
Meanwhile the Rotary International President Gordon McInally during his speech today to commemorate the World Polio Day called for more efforts in ending the Polio disease in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“World Polio Day on 24th October is our opportunity to celebrate our progress towards polio eradication and moving people to act so we can reach the finish line, eliminating forever the emotional burden children and parents face in dealing with this devastating disease.”