Rotary leaders, including RI President Stephanie Urchick (middle), and global health experts discuss the future of the polio eradication effort at a World Polio Day event in Pittsburgh.

Fashion

Rotary leaders, including RI President Stephanie Urchick (middle), and global health experts discuss the future of the polio eradication effort at a World Polio Day event in Pittsburgh.

World Polio Day raises awareness and funds for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s work to eliminate the disease. Since Rotary and its partners formed the GPEI in 1988, the number of wild polio cases has decreased by 99.9%. The event highlighted Rotary’s continuing efforts toward complete eradication.

Polio remains endemic in two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2024, increased case counts of wild poliovirus and the first case of paralytic polio in Gaza in 25 years served as a reminder that until the disease is fully eliminated everywhere, it remains a threat to children everywhere.

Despite the challenges, Michael K. McGovern, chair of the International PolioPlus Committee, said he remains confident as ever that global eradication is within reach. “We’re in a bumpy period, but we’re going to get this done by continuing to focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan and doing the things that were done so successfully by Rotarians,” he said.

The event included videos featuring polio vaccination workers in the field. Urchick said she was inspired by them during a visit to Karachi, Pakistan, earlier this year.

“Men work diligently to immunize thousands of children every day at traffic checkpoints, while women go house to house to reach families directly,” Urchick said. “Some workers literally climb mountains to vaccinate children in remote locations, and their determination never wavers.”

The livestream event was part of a two-day Rotary zone institute. RI Director Patrick Eakes, who convened the institute, said Pittsburgh was a perfect location because it’s where Dr. Jonas Salk developed the vaccine. “We realized we were in a unique position,” said Eake