The beginning of Rotary’s mission to end polio…
In 1979, a two-year old named Allan Evangelista received one of the first drops of the oral polio vaccine in the Philippines, as part of a historic Rotary-supported immunization campaign. Nearly five decades later, an unexpected discovery reconnects Allan and his family with that important moment in history. Watch his story in this video.
Polio in wastewater – the science behind a system providing early warnings
In the fight to eradicate polio, wastewater environmental surveillance acts as an early warning system. Poliovirus can circulate silently because most infections do not cause paralysis, and infected people can shed virus in their stool without knowing they are infected. Routine sampling of wastewater from communities therefore offers a window into what is happening across an entire community, including virus transmission that would otherwise remain invisible. Find out how the system is working in the United Kingdom.
Ramesh Ferris wants you to look at his legs — and understand why ending polio matters
Canadian Polio survivor, Rotarian and Global End Polio Advocate Ramesh Ferris has a powerful message: no child should have to live with the lifelong consequences of a disease we can prevent. Ramesh is one of the most passionate voices in the global effort to eradicate polio. A longtime Rotary member and advocate, he has raised awareness and mobilized support for a polio-free world, including by hand-cycling 7140 km across the entire country of Canada in a programme called ‘Cycle to Walk’, in the process raising funds for Polio Eradication, Education and Rehabilitation. In a moving new video featured by Bill Gates on Gates Notes, Ramesh explains why he sometimes chooses to crawl onto a stage rather than walk. By showing audiences the physical consequences of polio, he makes the case for eradication in a way that statistics alone never could.
Summary of new polioviruses this week
- Afghanistan: eight WPV1 cases and 16 WPV1-positive environmental samples
- Pakistan: one WPV1 case and 11 WPV1-positive environmental samples
- DR Congo: nine cVDPV2 cases
- Ethiopia: two cVDPV1 cases
- Somalia: one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
- Uganda: two cVDPV2-positive environmental samples
