Yesterday was World Polio Day, and Moose Jaw’s Western Development Museum and members of the city’s various Rotary Clubs marked the occasion with an information booth to accompany the museum’s iron lung display.
Debbie Sebastian, one of the Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow members in attendance, spoke about the role Rotary Clubs have in the treatment of polio worldwide.
“Rotary clubs all around the world for the last 30 years have been working on trying to eradicate polio, there were 35,000 cases of polio in 25 countries, and it was almost eradicated until wed had outbreaks and cases as we've seen now in Pakistan and India”
While Rotary Club members across the globe have never ceased their goal of helping eradicate polio, as many continue vaccination, awareness and infrastructure initiatives to this day.
“The initiatives (increased) because we heard that there's really struggling in Gaza again to control if we don't want it to get out of hand again,” explained Sebastian.
“We're just collecting (in support), if anybody wants to donate to the polio fund through Rotary, we can facilitate doing that and promote what Rotary is doing all over the world and in our own community.”
Sebastian explained that while the number of cases of polio worldwide has dropped dramatically since its peak in the mid 20th century, people are still contracting cases of it every day and the consequences for those who fall ill with polio can be severe.
“It really affects the children, anyone under the age of 5 is at higher risk for getting the disease and it's spread by contaminated water.
It's usually the most impoverished, and because of the war now. The most impoverished countries, those that have a high population, or those with difficult terrain and it's hard to get vaccines there.”
“(Many people) don't realize that polio is not curable, it's not curable once you have it, it's not curable. All you can do is treat your symptoms. So that's why we really want to eradicate it and how important it is that young children get the vaccine.”
You learn more about the Rotary Club and their battle against polio by clicking here.
If you or someone you know is suffering from Post-Polio Syndrome and need support visit marchofdimes.ca