One of the great vaccine success stories of the 20th Century is the success of the vaccine against polio. To mark World Polio Day 2020 on the 24th of October, Newmarket Town Council will floodlighting the Clock Tower purple.
Facts:
- Polio mainly affects children under age 5
- There is no cure, but polio is preventable with a vaccine
- Only two countries remain endemic
- We’ve reduced cases by 99.9% since 1988
- Until we end polio forever, every child is at risk
The Rotary Club of Newmarket will mark historic progress toward a polio-free world while urging the community to help end the paralyzing disease
Event is among thousands to be held by Rotary clubs around the world on World Polio Day, 24 October
Rotary members in Newmarket are taking action on 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.
Educational talk and preview of February Snowdrop walk at Landwade Hall
WHAT: Material for School Assemblies
WHO: Rotarian Tony Savill
WHEN: Week preceding 24th October
WHERE: Sent to all local Primary Schools
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.
Tony Savill said: “We have organised two successful snowdrop walks at Landwade Hall and after the talk I gave at Exning Primary School their year 6 pupils planted 4000 purple crocus corms. This year we have circulated the material for the talk to all our local schools and academies and I shall give the talk by Zoom to Laureate School.”
Rotary has contributed more than $2.1 billion to ending polio since 1985, including £20,000 donated by the Rotary Club of Newmarket.
About Rotary
Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who unite and take action to create lasting change in communities around the globe. For more than 110 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.
CONTACT: Tony Savill
EMAIL: tonysavill48@gmail.com
PHONE: 01638 730482, 07887 74762