The Finish Line is in Sight

In 1988, Rotary International and its partners launched one of the most ambitious public health campaigns in history—to eradicate polio from the face of the earth. At that time, over 350,000 children were paralyzed by the virus every year in more than 125 countries. Today, thanks to global vaccination efforts led by Rotary, cases have been reduced by more than 99.9%, with wild poliovirus now endemic in only two countries—Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Greatest Achievement in Public Health

Bill Gates once said, “Eradicating polio would be one of the greatest achievements in global health, saving hundreds of thousands of children from paralysis every single year.” His foundation has been a cornerstone in the fight, matching every dollar Rotary contributes to PolioPlus with two additional dollars—tripling the impact of each Rotarian’s donation. That means your $100 gift effectively becomes $300, helping provide vaccines, train health workers, and support rapid-response teams to prevent outbreaks before they spread.

The truth is, we are closer than ever to making history. The infrastructure built for polio eradication—disease surveillance, emergency response, and vaccine delivery—has already strengthened healthcare systems around the world. But “almost done” is not the same as “done.” Until the virus is gone everywhere, it remains a threat everywhere.

Let's Do This!

So as Rotarians, let’s continue to lead the final charge. Every dollar matters. Every vaccine counts. And when the day comes that polio is officially declared eradicated, Rotary and its partners—and all of us—will have written one of the greatest chapters in the story of humankind’s triumph over disease.