By Rotary International staff
World Polio Day is an annual event held on 24 October to raise awareness about polio and the importance of polio vaccination. It is also a day for Rotary members, public health advocates, and all who want a world free from polio to come together, recognize our progress in the fight to end polio, and talk about the actions we need to take in order to eradicate the disease forever. Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever.
As World Polio Day approaches, help amplify Rotary’s message about eradicating polio to protect the world’s children from a devastating disease.
We have made tremendous progress since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched:
- A 99.9% reduction in cases of illness caused by wild poliovirus
- 3 billion children immunized
- 125 countries where polio was endemic reduced to two — Afghanistan and Pakistan — with the virus contained in just a few districts and provinces
But even just one case still represents one child’s life forever changed by polio. That’s why Rotary members must remain tenacious and keep our promise: We won’t stop until we know that no child will ever again experience the paralyzing effects of polio.
Rotary International President R. Gordon R. McInally explains in this video why we still need your support for our efforts to eradicate polio:
Let’s use World Polio Day to advocate for the support we need to make history by eradicating polio.
Get involved
Take action this World Polio Day by hosting virtual and community events, creating fundraisers, and talking about the importance of polio eradication on social media.
Plan
If you haven’t started planning your World Polio Day activity, now is the time! Visit the World Polio Day Resources page for tips and tools your club can use to help achieve a polio-free world.
Register
Register your club’s participation in World Polio Day to show how you’re taking action to eradicate polio. The districts that have the highest percentage of registered clubs by 24 October will receive a special video message from RI President R. Gordon R. McInally.
Fundraise
Use Raise for Rotary to start a World Polio Day online fundraiser. All contributions will go to the PolioPlus Fund. The top Raise for Rotary World Polio Day 2023 fundraisers will be featured on My Rotary.
Together, we end polio!
