Rotary Club of West Pine Bluff members walked around the Saracen Landing pavilion Thursday, taking shield from maybe the wettest day in October locally, to bring awareness to polio.
“We are delivering the mission of Rotary International for fighting to end and eradicate polio in the world,” said Miloud Bahadi, the chapter’s president. “The world is going to be polio-free once it’s eradicated, and we are going to deliver the mission of Rotary by doing the awareness walks and fundraising on our part.”
Polio has been known to develop into more serious symptoms including meningitis, or an infection of the covering of the spinal cord or brain, and paralysis among a fraction of people who have been diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of polio cases worldwide has dropped from almost 70,000 in the early 1980s to 536 in 2023, thanks largely to better vaccination and improved screening and testing, according to OurWorldInData.org.
Polio spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water, then attacks the nervous system, according to Rotary International. The organization fights back with its End Polio Now initiative, which raises money for the effort to stop, and the awareness of, the spread of disease.
“It’s important for people to become more aware of the existence of polio and the fact they can help us simply by giving or donating to www.Rotary.org,” secretary and former Rotary District 6170 Governor Robert Thompson said. To donate, click the Menu, then select Donate at the top of the page and select one of the highlighted funds.
“Every dollar they give can become 3 dollars, based on a match by Bill Gates,” Thompson said. The Bill Gates Foundation gives $2 for every $1 donated to Rotary International, Thompson explained.