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On October 24, 2026, our club proudly joined Rotarians across the globe in a dedicated WALKATHON, stepping forward to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ending polio for good. This event is a continuation of a monumental journey that began in 1979 with a single pilot project to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines. Today, thanks to the dedication of millions of volunteers and $2.9 billion in PolioPlus grants, Rotary and its partners have protected over 3 billion children worldwide, effectively wiping out 99.9% of global polio cases.
The Current Global Landscape
While the wild poliovirus has been significantly cornered, it remains endemic in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to official World Health Organization data as of October 6, 2026, there have been 35 reported cases of wild polio in Afghanistan and 5 cases in Pakistan this year. This reflects a shift in distribution from 2025, which saw 21 cases in Afghanistan and 31 in Pakistan. Wild polio is a dangerous virus that spreads from person to person—especially in communities where children are not vaccinated—and can attack the nerves to cause paralysis. Because there is no cure for polio, continuous vaccination remains the only effective way to stop it.
