Progress and Preparation this World Polio Day
This week, in the lead up to World Polio Day on the 24 October, the partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative are celebrating progress and preparing for the year to come.
Since last World Polio Day we have seen historic progress in our journey towards stopping polio once and for all. Nigeria has stopped polio, and Africa has passed 12 months without wild poliovirus for the first time in history. Only two countries in the world have reported cases of wild poliovirus in 2015: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
But we still have work to do. The final steps in the journey to wipe this disease from the face of the world are the most challenging, and it is time for us to redouble our efforts in the year ahead.
In the lead up to World Polio Day on the 24 October, join the partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) as they mark the milestones that we have met this year, anticipate the year ahead and most importantly, recognise the incredible contributions made by healthcare workers, volunteers, families, traditional and religious leaders, governments, donors, civil society organizations and partners.
Throughout the week, keep your eyes on www.polioeradication.org for updates and next steps towards achieving a polio free world. Follow our partners Rotary International, UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as they celebrate.
Follow the events and news in the lead up to World Polio Day by following @Vaccines on Twitter. The GPEI will be giving an insight into the people at the heart of polio eradication and the work of partners who tirelessly strive to reach a polio-free world.
How close are we to a polio-free world? What’s needed to finish the job? Can we make history together?
Join Rotary on 23 October for their third annual World Polio Day event to hear the answers to these important questions. They will be streaming live from New York City, so tune in at 18:30 Eastern Standard Time to watch a global status update on the fight to end polio and take part in the conversation. Guests will include Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, celebrity ambassadors, polio survivors, and others.
Make your donation work harder this World Polio Day. Every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication will become three dollars, thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Donate today.
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