On 24 July, Nigeria passed one year with no new cases of wild poliovirus.

This is the longest the country has ever gone without a case of polio and a critical step on the path toward a polio-free Africa. We’ve come a long way since the bleak years when the virus reached its peak. It was only a decade ago that polio struck 12,631 people in Africa- three quarters of all cases in the world.

11 August will mark an even greater milestone: one year since the last case of polio in Africa. For Africa to be certified polio-free, all countries in the region, including Nigeria, must go two more years without a case of polio. To do this, all children in Nigeria must continue to receive the polio vaccine, including those in hard-to-reach and underserved areas.
 
I am immensely proud of our Rotarians who have donated $688.5 million to fight polio throughout Africa, including more than $200 million to Nigeria. I congratulate these Rotarians from Africa and around the world who have also devoted countless hours to immunize the children who now have the opportunity for healthier, happier lives.

Please note if the stringent World Health Organization testing criteria are met, then Nigeria could well be removed from the list of polio-endemic countries in September of this year.

Thirty years ago we told the world what Rotary believes: that we can achieve the eradication of only the second human disease in history. Our belief is close to becoming reality. For every child, let’s make sure that reality is a bright one.

Warm Regards,

Rotary International President K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran

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