ENDPOLIO :
Philippe De Clercq will to talk about one of the greatest
successes in public health: the near-eradication of polio. An achievement
inextricably linked to the tireless commitment of Rotary International
and its partners. He will take us on a journey through the story of End
Polio Now.
In the 1980s, thousands of children were paralyzed by this
terrible disease every year. It was a global threat, but fortunately, in 1988,
Rotary and partners like the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF
saw a chance to eradicate the virus for good. Many thought it was an impossible
task, but science was on our side with an effective vaccine. It was a race
against time to vaccinate as many children as possible, from the most remote
villages to the most densely populated cities.
The results are nothing short of astonishing. Since the
initiative began, polio cases have dropped by 99.9%. What was once a plague in
over 125 countries is now confined to just a handful of nations, including
Pakistan and Afghanistan. Still, the fight is not over. The final steps are the
hardest. The vaccination program faces challenges such as conflicts, distrust,
and inaccessible areas.
What does the future hold? One possible scenario is that the
virus will soon be completely eradicated. This would mean we will no longer see
the virus in the wild, eliminating the need for vaccination. Another scenario,
which we must avoid at all costs, is that the virus returns and spreads again
across the globe. This underscores the absolute necessity of completing this
project.
Let’s discuss !
