Walk the Wall to end Polio

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a paralyzing and potentially deadly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. The virus spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can then attack the nervous system.

Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. We've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. In 1988 there were an estimated 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries, killing many of the children. Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan with only a few cases each year, but it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.

Rotary North East is aiming to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall on May 10th 2025 to raise money to help eliminate Polio. Help us by adding your donation or joining in our walk.

For further information contact John at dumbrelljr@btinternet.com,