Today is World Polio Day – October 24 – and Dundee Rotary is in full support
Rotary International has done tremendous work with the Gates Foundation in eradicating this scourge.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) investigates more than 100 000 suspected cases per year through the help of donations and has reduced polio cases by 99.9% since 1988.
In 1988, there were about 125 infected countries which have now drastically been reduced to three countries namely Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
The polio virus usually enters the environment in the faeces of someone who is infected. In areas with poor sanitation, the virus easily spreads from faeces into the water supply, or, by touch, into food.
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In addition, because polio is so contagious, direct contact with a person infected with the virus can cause polio.
Rotary International has done tremendous work with the Gates Foundation in eradicating this scourge.
In 2007, Bill Gates gave The Rotary Foundation a $100 million challenge grant for polio eradication, and in 2009, increased it to $355 million. Rotary agreed to raise $200 million in matching funds by June 30 2012, but Rotarians, in fact, raised $228.7 million toward the challenge.
The Rotary Club of Dundee is taking hands with this initiative and their Polio Collection Day will be held together with the Rotary Swimathon on
Friday, February 1, 2019, at the Dundee High School Pool from 1pm to 7pm.
If you are not able to make it then, you are welcome to leave a donation at Hellberg Thöle Inc from October 25 or contact Jenny Thöle 083 232 9034/ 034212335.
