THE Civic Mayor of Tameside joined members of Dukinfield and Stalybridge Rotary Club to mark World Polio Day 2024.
Every year on October 24, Rotary members, public health advocates and others come together to recognise the progress being made in the fight to end polio.
At 11.30am on the day, Councillor Betty Affleck and her Consort, Declan Fitzpatrick, stood with Rotarians on the steps of Dukinfield Town Hall holding placards which read ‘End Polio Now’.
Polio is caused by the polio virus and, although very rare, the virus can attack the parts of the brain that help you breathe, which can lead to death.
The highly contagious disease has no cure but can be prevented through vaccination.
Polio – which causes irreversible paralysis – mainly infects children under the age of five because they are least likely to be fully vaccinated.
Rotary’s fight against Polio began in 1979 and, with the assistance of the World Health Organisation, has helped to immunise over 2.5 billion children against Polio.
In 1988, there were an estimated 350,000 cases of Polio across 125 countries. But with only 33 cases so far this year – most of which have been in areas around the boundaries of Pakistan and Afghanistan – Polio is close to being eradicated across the world.
Mike Weir, the president of Dukinfield and Stalybridge Rotary Club, said the club is “very proud of its continued support” for the End Polio Now campaign.
He commented: “We are one of the largest donors to the campaign from the Rotary clubs in the North West district and proud that our efforts and contributions are helping Rotary International to deliver on its promise to eradicate polio across the globe. This will be Rotary’s greatest gift to the world.”
The club is holding a Curry Night for members and friends at the Candolim restaurant in Stalybridge on Thursday, October 31, with all proceeds being donated to the End Polio Now campaign.