Rotary Clubs worldwide and the WHO continue to work towards eradicating polio.
WOODSTOCK -- Afghanistan, Nigeria and parts of Pakistan are the only countries that continue to struggle with the battle against polio.
That number has dropped from 200 countries in 1985 thanks in large part to the work of the Rotary clubs worldwide and the World Health Organization's Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
In 2013, there were 416 confirmed polio cases compared to 350,000 cases in 1988; these stats being released as World Polio Day is marked internationally on Friday, October 24th.
Woodstock Rotary member and past president, Olga McKellar says part of the funds raised through Rotary events are used for this initiative but they still need people to administer the vaccinations in these countries. "And that's a big deal especially in places like Afghanistan and like Nigeria where there's war going on, where there's refugee camps - how do you get those children vaccinated? And the only way is for people to go and give their time and effort to make sure every child gets that vaccination."
Even though the numbers have continued to decline and the world is 99% of the way to eradicating polio completely, McKellar points out that the disease is still only one flight away from spreading to another individual in another country.
North America has been free of polio since 1994 but McKellar recalls growing up in a time when polio was an issue locally. "Every parent would panic about their children knowing that they could be well today and they could be either dead or severely crippled by tomorrow. Even today the largest group of disabled people in Canada are polio survivors."
Worldwide Rotary have spent 1.3 billion dollars in the fight against polio. McKellar says they continue to raise funds locally that are contributed to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
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