At the Rotary Club of Daylesford, we are proud to be part of one of the most ambitious public health initiatives in history:PolioPlus. Launched by Rotary International in 1985, this program was the first global effort to immunize every child against polio. Since then, alongside our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we have helped reduce polio cases by more than 99.9% worldwide.
Our local club contributes to this mission through consistent financial support and advocacy. To date, Daylesford Rotary has contributed over $1,500 specifically to PolioPlus, ensuring that children in the final endemic regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan receive the life-saving oral vaccine. We know that as long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere; if efforts were to stop today, the disease could once again paralyze hundreds of thousands of children annually within a decade.
By supporting our local fundraisers, you are helping us bridge the final gap. Through 2026, every dollar Rotary commits is matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, tripling the impact of our community’s generosity. We won’t stop until we can celebrate a polio-free world together.