- Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and local and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities;
- Developing opportunities for productive rest;
- Reducing poverty in under-served communities;
- Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.
World Polio Day is commemorated every year on October 24. Most know poliomyelitis as the poliovirus. It is a highly contagious viral disease primarily impacting children under the age of five. The causative agent, the poliovirus, is transmitted through person-to-person contact, predominantly through contact with an infected person's feces or droplets from their cough or sneeze. Less commonly, it can be spread through a shared source, such as contaminated water or food. Once the virus enters the body, it replicates in the intestines. From there, it can breach the nervous system, potentially leading to paralysis.
The symptoms of polio can vary widely. In most cases, polio is asymptomatic, meaning it shows no visible symptoms. However, a small percentage of those infected can experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. In severe cases, the virus attacks the motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and acute flaccid paralysis, which can result in permanent disability or even death.
Prevention of polio is primarily through vaccination. The polio vaccine is highly effective and has led to a significant decrease in polio cases worldwide. There are two types of vaccines available: the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), administered through injection, and the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), which is given orally. Global immunization efforts, spearheaded by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), have brought the world closer to eradicating polio, with only a few countries reporting endemic cases today.
Despite these advances, it is critical to maintain high vaccination coverage to prevent outbreaks, especially in areas with poor sanitation and health infrastructure. Continued surveillance and rapid response to outbreaks are essential to protect communities from this debilitating disease and move closer to global eradication (WHO).
Through a united effort with the World Health Organization, the US Centers or Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, and later the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, Rotarians through Rotary International have been key in decreasing the world polio cases by over 99% since 1998. The World Health Organization reports that of the 3 strains of wild poliovirus (type 1, type 2, and type 3), wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999 and wild poliovirus type 3 was eradicated in 2020. As of 2022, endemic wild poliovirus type 1 remains in two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan (WHO).
For more information about Rotary's End Polio Now cause and Rotary's history in polio eradication, click this link.
To donate to end polio: click this link.
“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Through a concerted effort, we can make a difference not only in our community, but the world over. Pictured at left is fellow Rotarian Peter Boucher and David Kunert, who carved a custom Peace Pole for the Rotary Club of South Hilo, which is prominently displayed at the Hilo International Airport. For more more highlights and an explanation of the significance of the carvings on the Peace Pole, click the button below.
New material has been added to this section:
- Schedule for Hawaiʻi Island Peace Week 2024 (will be updated as more information is provided)
- link to County of Hawaii Peace Week Schedule
- Information on the Pledge to Promote Peace for members to download, print out, and sign.
- Highlights for week ending August 10, 2024 added.
- Update: The link for the Hilo Honpa Hongwanji Peace Service has been added where fellow Rotarian Steve Yoshida gave a message.
- Hawaiʻi Island Peace Week Schedule updated
- Peace Group Photo Album added
Service Above Self
Hilo, HI 96720
United States of America