Over 2.5billion children have been vaccinated against Polio worldwide by the Rotary Club in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNICEF since the campaign started in 1985.

Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital , North Central Nigeria in commemoration of the World Polio Day, the Past president Rotary Club of Ilorin Metro and Kwara state Polio Representative 2023-2024, Youssef Sanders, however, said that the battle to eliminate Polio is not yet won.

“Polio still poses a threat because it is an infectious disease and there is much work to be done. It is crucial for the general populace to support organizations like Rotary International in our relentless efforts to reach every child with the polio vaccine”, he said.

Sanders, who said that Polio used to be a devastating scourge, added that the disease had been on the brink of eradication globally for several years.

According to him, Rotary International in partnership with organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have made substantial progress toward eradicating polio worldwide.

He disclosed that Nigeria once considered one of the last strongholds of the virus, has made remarkable strides to these combined efforts.

“It used to be PAN, (PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN and NIGERIA). Today it's Pakistan and Afghanistan”, he said.

Sanders added that Rotary's work has played a pivotal role in bringing them closer to a polio free world in Kwara state and Nigeria and as well commended both the federal and state governments for providing right leadership in that regard.

In his remarks at the press briefing, the past president, Rotary Club of Ilorin, GRA, Dr. Olutoye Michael, said that Kwara state is free of Polio, but that the campaign against Polio has to continue because the virus is infectious and the world is a global village.

He explained that the world is a global village and somebody can get infected in Mozambique, Africa here and a few hours later, he finds himself in another country like Nigeria, stressing that the disease can spread so easily hence the need to keep up awareness campaigns and vaccination.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. It is a disabling and under life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus and spreads from person to person. It causes mild or no symptoms in most people, but in some people, it can cause paralysis or death.