Emergency PolioPlus Campaign
So close to ending polio
When Rotary started its fight against polio in 1985, the disease paralysed more than 350,000 children every year across 125 countries.
Today, polio is endemic in just two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan — and global cases are down by more than 99.9%.
But the final 0.1% is the hardest. Until polio is eradicated everywhere, it can come back anywhere.
Why we need to act now
Recent funding shortfalls, conflict zones, and population displacement are putting decades of progress at risk. The Emergency PolioPlus Campaign exists to keep the eradication effort fully funded and operationally ready until polio is gone for good.
How Irish Rotary is supporting
- Direct giving — every euro contributed by Irish clubs is matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Awareness — Irish clubs run World Polio Day events each October to keep the campaign in the public eye.
- Partnerships — clubs work with schools, businesses, and community groups across the island to extend the reach of every campaign.
Support the campaign
Every donation, every fundraiser, every vaccination day brings us closer to a polio-free world.
A polio-free world is now within reach.
Rotary’s contribution to the global polio eradication effort will exceed US$3.1 billion by the time the world is certified polio-free — including $1.6 billion in matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Every euro matters; every gift moves the date forward.