On Thursday 22 October 2026, two days before World Polio Day, members of the Rotary Clubs of the Illawarra will be visiting all the railway stations in the Illawarra to raise awareness, funds and support to end poliomyelitis, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens the children of the world today.
Polio eradication, the goal of permanent global cessation of circulation of the poliovirus and hence elimination of the poliomyelitis (polio) it causes, is the aim of a multinational public health effort begun in 1988, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Rotary Foundation.
Source: Wikipedia. (2021). Polio eradication. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio_eradication [Accessed 25 Sept. 2026].
These organizations, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Gates Foundation, have spearheaded the campaign through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary worldwide has helped to reduce polio cases from an average of 1,000 cases per day in 1987.
A total of 36 cases have been officially reported globally so far in 2026
Country Endemic Polio Cases (WPV1)
Afghanistan 32 cases
Pakistan 4 cases
The End Polio Train Ride is among many events to be held by Rotary clubs around the world in honour of World Polio Day, 24 October
Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere, and Rotary members from the Illawarra have long worked to end the paralysing virus, which will be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated.
Rotary has contributed more than US$2.9 billion to fight polio and countless volunteer hours since launching its PolioPlus program in 1985. In 1988, Rotary joined in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, later joined. When the initiative launched, there were 350,000 cases of polio every year. Today, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent.
To sustain this progress and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine, Rotary has committed to raising up to US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Gates Foundation has renewed its pledge through 2029 to match that 2-to-1 for a total yearly contribution of up to US$150 million.
About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of community leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.
We connect 1.2 million members from more than 45,000 Rotary clubs across the world.
Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.
