Rotary Club of Accra-Airport launches “Arise for Polio 2026’

The Rotary Club of Accra-Airport has launched an initiative called "Arise for Polio 2026" to eradicate polio worldwide. The club's President, Rotarian David Kwatia Nyante, emphasized that polio is a devastating disease that can cause permanent paralysis and even death, but it is preventable through vaccination. Since the PolioPlus programme began in 1985, the number of children paralyzed by polio annually has decreased significantly.

However, wild poliovirus remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The club's aim is to raise awareness and mobilize support to finish the job of eradicating polio globally. Rotarian David Nyante stressed that no single organization can achieve this goal alone and that the initiative requires the participation of governments, businesses, communities, and individuals.

The District Governor of Rotary International District 9104, Rotarian Jack Andrews Dotsey, acknowledged the significant progress made against polio but stressed that our responsibility is not over. He highlighted the club's role in advocating, mobilizing communities, supporting vaccination campaigns, and building trust to ensure vaccines reach children wherever they live.

Rotarian Jack Andrews Dotsey concluded that "We must finish what we started." The chair of Ghana National PolioPlus, Rotarian Gertrude Adzo Akpalu, emphasized that with the wild poliovirus endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the target is to achieve 99.9% eradication by 2026. She also mentioned that Rotary is collaborating with various organizations, including GHS/EPI, WHO, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, Gavi, US-CDC, Pediatric Society of Ghana, Civil Society, and Polio Survivors, to work towards a polio-free world.