Oct. 24 was declared 'World Polio Day' in Edina

The Edina City Council has declared Oct. 24 “World Polio Day,” encouraging residents to join Rotary International in the fight for a polio-free world.
 
In 1985, Rotary launched PolioPlus and spearheaded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which today includes the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to immunize the children of the world against polio. There will be a live stream hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on World Polio Day, Tuesday, Oct. 24. Click on the link below to read more about the event.

If you are interested, a special World Polio Day global live stream event co-hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, at 4:30 p.m. CST (2:30 p.m. PDT, 21:30 GMT) from Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Along with Bill and Melinda Gates, global health experts and celebrities will share our progress on the road to polio eradication. This live stream is expected to bring together more than 100,000 viewers around the world.  

You can join this special, global live stream by clicking on the following hyperlink live stream or by copying and pasting the following URL, http://endpolio.org/worldpolioday, in your internet browser search field.
 
Related to this World Polio Day, in June WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Education Fund) produced a video thanking Rotary and Rotarians. You can watch this video "Thank You Rotary" by clicking on the title or by copying and pasting the URL https://youtu.be/bUtprGjIYqo.

 
Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative nearly 30 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to just 37 cases in 2016. To sustain this progress, and protect all children from polio, Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year over the next three years in support of global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match Rotary’s commitment 2:1. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to previously polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

The Rotary Club of Edina has committed to giving $1,525 to PolioPlus this year. Individual Rotarians will make additional contributions to the cause.