Polio eradication: Rotary calls for continued donations, awareness

Rotary International has urged its members to sustain financial contributions and public awareness campaigns aimed at eradicating polio, warning that the fight must continue until every child is protected against the disease.

Sikiru Owonikoko, District Governor of Rotary International District 127, made the appeal in Abuja on Saturday after a walk organised to mark World Polio Day 2026.

Owonikoko said donations from members of the organisation continued to support eradication efforts, stressing that the campaign must remain a priority until polio is eliminated.

He called on Rotarians not to relent in their financial contributions, adding that awareness programmes and childhood immunisation must continue across communities.

“We should not be tired; the donations should continue; the sensitisation must not stop; the eradication is a must for us and we have to keep polio at zero as we promised,” he said.

The district governor also commended the Federal Government and Rotary International’s partners for their collaboration in reaching communities through primary healthcare centres and immunisation programmes.

He said sustained cooperation between government agencies, health workers and humanitarian organisations was essential to ensuring that children across the country received polio vaccines.

Owonikoko noted that Rotary International had invested substantial resources in the eradication campaign since 1985, adding that the organisation remained committed to protecting children worldwide.

“This is not just the beginning and it will not be the end until every child of the world is saved,” he said.

Kazeem Mustapha, vice-chairman of the Nigerian National PolioPlus Committee, also reaffirmed Rotary’s commitment to the End Polio Now campaign, which seeks to protect children around the world from the disease.

Mustapha emphasised the importance of immunisation as a preventive measure against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

World Polio Day is observed annually on October 24 to raise awareness about the disease and mobilise support for global eradication efforts.

Rotary International has played a major role in the global campaign through fundraising, vaccination support and partnerships with governments and international health organisations.

The organisation’s eradication initiative began with a vaccination project in the Philippines in 1979 and later developed into a broader global effort. Rotary subsequently became a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988.

The global campaign has significantly reduced polio cases, but continued vaccination and surveillance remain necessary to prevent transmission and protect children from paralysis caused by the disease.