Pictured are members and guests from the Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place
The Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place is preparing to celebrate World Polio Day on Oct. 24. World Polio Day was initiated by the Rotary Foundation nearly a decade ago with an aim of complete eradication of the Polio virus from all parts of the world. Rotary is a partner in the global Polio eradication program with organizations like WHO, Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation and U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched by the Rotary International and WHO in 1988, when there were nearly 350,000 cases of polio across 125 countries," officials said. "Though many of the countries have been declared polio free, countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan are witnessing rate occurrences of the disease and there is still a constant threat of the disease to reappear in any part of the world. Therefore, a need to celebrate World Polio Day is important to completely eradicate polio globally through general awareness for vaccination, prevention and fund raising. We are so very close to eradicating polio."