Page 4 - C:\Users\Craig\Documents\1 - DG 2018-2019\Newsletter\September\

POLIOPLUS FACT SHEET

Although it currently circulates in only a few countries, polio is highly infectious and spreads rapidly.
The disease, which afflicts mainly children, is transmitted via contaminated water and food supplies.
Five to 10 percent of cases are fatal. As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world,
children everywhere are at risk. Only the global eradication of polio will ensure that no child ever again
suffers its devastating effects.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Polio Cases (as of September 11, 2018)

• If polio is not eradicated, within 10 years, as 2016 2017 2018
many as 200,000 children will be paralyzed by it Number of 37 22 17
each year. Cases

• In 2017, more than 430 million children were
vaccinated multiple times using more than two On average, A study
billion doses of oral polio vaccine. This will be a child can be fully published in
done every year until the world is certified polio protected against 2010 in the
free. Rotary funds will help do this. polio for US$3. medical journal
“Vaccine”
• To date, 122 countries have benefited from estimates the
PolioPlus grants. economic
Since 1998, benefit of polio
• Since 1988, the number of polio endemic Vitamin A eradication as
countries declined from over 125 to three. supplements US$40-50
have been added billion.
• In 2017, under an expanded partnership with to polio immunization
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, every $1 activities, helping to avert
Rotary commits to polio eradication will be an estimated 1.5 million
matched 2-to-1 (up to $ 50 million per year) childhood deaths.
through 2020.

Number of Polio Cases Averted (17.4 M)*
Number of Cases Averted (Estimated) 600,000
700,000
650,000
550,000
500,000
450,000
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
2009
2007
2008
2004
2005
2006
2015
2014
2017
2016
2011
2010
2013
2012
2003
1992
1993
1994
1991
1988
1989
1990
1995
2000
1999
2002
2001
1997
1996
1998
* Source: WHO
Polio Dashboard