Our Mission is to Eliminate Polio
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 47 years with our efforts to rid the Philippines of Polio. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is now closer than ever.
As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
Rotary members have contributed over $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have also influenced governments' decisions to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within ten years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.
Explore the history of Rotary and polio eradication
READ THE LATEST DISTRICT POLIO NEWSLETTER