Posted on Nov 01, 2019
Sherryn El Bakary, John Waugh and Steve Fabris at the Britomart train station.
 
The Polio All Trains (PAT) TAG YOU ON/TAG POLIO OFF event took place all over Auckland on November 1st. Sherryn El Bakary, John Waugh and Steve Fabris from Rotary Waiheke gathered at Britomart along with dozens of Rotarians from other Auckland Rotary Clubs who were waving their collection boxes at the travelling public. Waiheke Rotary raised $1,000 towards the campaign.

Since the commitment to end Polio launched 34 years ago, the number of people affected by Polio has dropped by 99.9%.
 
From 350,000 cases in 1988 in 125 countries it reduced to just 33 cases of wild poliovirus in 2018 in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. With polio nearly eradicated, Rotary and its partners are working to sustain this progress, and continue to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralysing disease could return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

Rotary has committed to raising US$ 50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total yearly contribution of US$150 million.