Press Release by Barry Forrester
Members of Ludlow Rotary Club are, once again, inviting residents of Ludlow and the surrounding area, young and old, to join them in “walking a mile for polio”.
For almost 40 years Rotary International has been battling to eradicate polio from the world. When it launched its global campaign to fight the crippling and sometimes deadly disease, more than 350,000 children were being paralyzed by polio every year in 125 countries. Today, as a result of an intensive immunization programme, the incidence of polio has been reduced by 99.9% and the wild polio virus is now only endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan where just 40 confirmed cases have been identified so far this year. Rotary International, along with other agencies, continues to raise funds to bring this devastating and crippling disease to a world-wide end.
Ludlow Rotary is supporting this global effort, and invites all to join them in “walking a mile for polio” any time between 10am and 12 noon on Sunday 27 October.
A number of routes starting from a registration point by the entrance to Ludlow Castle and suitable for all levels of fitness have been selected for the purpose. No individual will be asked to give more than £1 – but as many pounds as possible will be welcomed!
Every donation to Rotary will be trebled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, so every £1 will become £3.
Speaking about this initiative, Ludlow Rotary organiser Tom Hunt said “Until polio is totally eradicated, every child is at risk of this highly infectious, potentially life-threatening and paralysing disease.”
“There is no cure for polio but there is a safe and effective vaccine which we need to continue to roll out until there are no more cases.”
“When the world is finally declared polio free, it will be just the second human disease ever to be eradicated, after smallpox.”
“Please help Rotary to wipe the life threatening and disabling poliovirus off the face of the earth simply by walking a mile for polio, and donating £1.”
27.09.24
Here is a link if you would like to make an online donation to End Polio Now.