Rotary torch stops in Manila, joins world’s effort to end polio

In celebration of the decades-long battle and continuing victory against the polio virus, the Rotary International District 3810 under the leadership of District Governor Edmond Aguilar, will welcome the Rotary Flame today at the Hotel Sofitel, during the opening of the District Conference (DISCON).

The Rotary Flame was launched by the Rotary Club Madras, India on December 13, 2014 to help raise awareness on the disease, that it is preventable through vaccine and that efforts are being done to end the world’s polio problem, through continuous mass immunization activities for children.

This came after World Health Organization (WHO) declared that India is polio-free in March, 2014. India was once the epicenter of the polio-virus.

N.K. Gopinath, President of the Rotary Club of Madras in Chennai, India said “fire is a benevolent element in Indian culture, and the Rotary Flame launched from Chennai, India is a manifestation of Rotary’s commitment to eradicate polio worldwide.”

As of 2013, there were 416 confirmed polio cases in the world, down from about 350,000 a year when the initiative was launched in 1988.

Polio eradication is Rotary’s top philanthropic goal. To date, the global humanitarian service organization has contributed more than $1.3 billion to the effort.

Through 2018, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match two-to-one every additional dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication or up to $35 million a year.

The Rotary Flame will be brought to Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, the three remaining polio-endemic countries – ending its journey at the Rotary’s International Convention in São Paulo, Brazil in June, 2015.

It will also be brought to Chennai, India; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; London, United Kingdom; Evaston, Illinois; Toronto, Canada; Sao Paulo, Brazil, as part of the worldwide effort towards ending polio

Rotary has about 1.2 million volunteer leaders belonging to the 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.

For more information on Rotary’s effort to eradicate polio, visit rotary.org and endpolio. org. Video and still images will be available at the Rotary media center.