Despite tremendous progress against vaccine-preventable diseases, the world faces renewed risks. Reduced funding, competing priorities and the rise of anti-vaccine sentiment threaten to undo decades of progress against illnesses once nearly eradicated — like polio.
Through the work of Rotary International and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9% worldwide. Yet the disease persists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and outbreaks of other preventable illnesses, including measles, are appearing across continents.
Recent detections of poliovirus in Europe, Papua New Guinea and even New York remind us that viruses know no borders. As long as un- and under-vaccinated populations exist anywhere, every country — including ours — remains at risk.
The renewed partnership between Rotary and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — pledging up to $450 million through 2029 — will provide vital resources for eradication. But continued global commitment, both financial and political, is essential to finish the job.
World Polio Day was Friday, Oct. 24. I urge readers to join the effort to protect children everywhere through vaccination. Together, we can stop the spread of preventable diseases and ensure that polio becomes only a chapter in history.
You can learn more at endpolio.org.
Ezra Teshome, Seattle Rotarian
