Chairman Roger Anderson Proclaims October 24, 2015 as World Polio Day in the Regional Municipality of Durham

OSHAWA, ONTARIO – In honor of World Polio Day 2015, which is widely recognized on October 24, the 10 Rotary Clubs in Durham Region (Oshawa, Oshawa-Parkwood, Whitby, Whitby-Sunrise, Ajax, Pickering, Port Perry, Uxbridge, Bowmanville, and Courtice) received a proclamation from Roger Anderson, The Chair of Regional Municipality of Durham on Tuesday, October 20, 2015, at the evening meeting of the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood, at the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club, 160 Alexandra Street in Oshawa, it was announced today, by Mike McLaren, President of the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood.

Roger Anderson, the Chair of the Regional Municipality of Durham presented the Proclamation to the Presidents of the 10 Rotary Clubs in Durham Region and to the Assistant Governors of Rotary International. Chairman Anderson said, “I am so proud of all the work that the 10 Rotary Clubs in Durham Region do all of the time, year-in and year-out and I thank you for all of your efforts in Rotary’s 30-year mission to eradicate the crippling childhood disease, polio”.

The world is on the verge of eliminating one of the most dreaded diseases of the 20th century -- poliomyelitis. During the first half of the 20th century, polio crippled over a half a million people every year. Even today, children in some developing countries continue to fall victim to the disease. But thanks in large part to Rotary International and to the 1.2 million Rotary members worldwide, including the 10 Durham Region Rotary Clubs , the disease will soon be all but a memory.

Before celebrating this public health milestone, the spread of the poliovirus must be interrupted in the poorest and most populous regions of the world, and surveillance must continue for several years to be sure the virus is completely wiped out. This is no easy task. One of the greatest challenges to the effort is a funding shortage.

In 1985, Rotary boldly launched the first global campaign to immunize the world’s children against polio. In 1988, they mobilized the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to join Rotary Clubs world-wide.

“Thirty years later, Africa has gone one year without a case of polio. There are no limits to what we can accomplish together”, President Mclaren said.

Rotary’s partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, as well as local governments, have been critical to this success. Rotary has contributed over $1.4 billion and countless volunteer hours to polio eradication. Today, polio has been eradicated in every country except Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Rotary International District 707 Governor Michael Bell, on hand for the proclamation ceremony, said' “We’ve seen historic progress this year, with Nigeria and all of Africa going a full year without a case of polio. And on September 25, 2015, Nigeria has been be crossed off the list of polio-endemic countries.”

“ But it’s too soon to celebrate. The support of Rotary, donors, and governments remains critical in the final stages of polio eradication. Through 2018 every $1 Rotary commits to direct support for polio immunization will be matched 2-to-1 (up to $35 million per year) by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And every donation made in Canada is also matched 2-to-1 by the Government of Canada. Each donation to PolioPlus makes 5 times the impact! “, District Governor Michael Bell added.

In addition to raising money for polio eradication, Rotary members offer their time and expertise in the field to fight polio by providing support at clinics, transporting vaccine, contributing medical supplies, and mobilizing their communities for immunization and other polio eradication activities. More than one million members of Rotary worldwide have contributed toward the success of the polio eradication effort to date, demonstrating the extraordinary impact civil society can have on a global public health initiative.

As World Polio Day draws closer, the world is 99.9% polio free, the fight to end polio is not over and Rotary Clubs world-wide continue to raise funds to meet the challenge.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is spearheaded by the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It includes the support of governments and other private sector donors, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“The message to world leaders is clear: support the final push to achieve eradication now while the goal has never been closer, or face the potential consequences of a new polio pandemic that could disable millions of children within a decade,” Oshawa-Parkwood Rotary President Mike McLaren added.

President Mike McLaren added, “Earlier this week, the City of Oshawa Proclaimed October 24 as World Polio Day in Oshawa. On Saturday, October 24, 2015, many other cities all over the world are proclaiming Friday as World Polio Day in honour of Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio from the world. In Toronto, on World Polio Day at 4:00 pm, an “End Polio Now” sail will be raised in front of the Westin Harbor Castle Hotel, the site of the Rotary Intenrtaional District 7070 Conference. And, during the week of October 19, at the GO Train stations throughout southern Ontario, Rotarians will be handing our End Polio Now brochures to our commuters that tell the story to end polio form the face of the earth and how they can help.”

A highly infectious disease, polio causes paralysis and is sometimes fatal. As there is no cure, the best protection is prevention. For as little as US 60 cents worth of vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life. After the successful engagement of over 200 countries and 20 million volunteers, polio could be the first human disease of the 21st century to be eradicated.

Rotary’s main responsibilities are fundraising, advocacy, and volunteer recruitment. Since 1995, the advocacy efforts of Rotary and its partners have helped raise more than $8 billion from donor governments. And Rotary clubs also provide on the ground help in polio affected communities.

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from 200 countries and geographical regions. Their work impacts lives both at the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities in the Durham region, to working toward a polio-free world.

Rotarians are neighbors, friends, and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in our communities and around the world. With differing occupations, cultures, and countries, Rotarians are given a unique perspective. Their shared passion for service helps Rotarians accomplish the remarkable.

Rotary invites the public to support the polio eradication initiative by visiting http://endpolio.org and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and be sure to visit the http://www.rotary7070.org and the website for more information about the ten Rotary Clubs in Durham Region and throughout southern Ontario.