(NAPSI)—According to the World Health Organization, vaccine hesitancy—the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines—is one of the top ten global health threats of 2019.
Acknowledging this challenge, Rotary clubs in the U.S. and around the world remain laser-focused on the global fight to end polio, a paralyzing but vaccine-preventable disease. With success, polio will become only the second human disease, after smallpox, to be wiped out.
For more than 30 years, Rotary has been the driving force in the worldwide polio eradication effort. Alongside its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has achieved a 99.9 percent reduction in polio cases and has contributed $2 billion to protect more than 2.5 billion children from this paralyzing disease. Today, only Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to report cases of wild polio virus and eradication is within grasp.
So, on October 24th, World Polio Day, more than a million Rotary club members around the world will recognize the progress to date and double down on efforts to end polio for good.
From fashion shows in Nebraska and wine tastings in Idaho, to walks in Kenya and benefit concerts in Switzerland, Rotary clubs are hosting awareness and fundraising events to put an end to the disease once and for all.
You don’t have to be a global health expert or Rotary member to support efforts to end polio. Visit www.endpolio.org to find out how you can help end a disease and make history on World Polio Day and beyond.