Rotary fights Polio – from Buckingham to Afghanistan!

Why is there that bright splash of purple crocuses on the verges here with Rotary banners up? Yes, spring is coming but it also represents a worldwide fight to end polio.

This was the Covid of the 1940s onwards and left people paralysed and needing an iron lung to breathe. Vaccines were developed in the 1950s and brought it under control in the developed world.

The campaign to eradicate polio in the whole world was started by Rotary International in 1985, and is now led by world health organisations.

Numbers are down to the last few cases in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Still, every child in countries nearby has to be vaccinated.

Why are the crocuses purple? Each child’s little finger is dipped in purple ink to show they have been protected. Rotary in Buckingham is proud to help end the scourge of polio.

If you would like to find out about Rotary here and what it could mean for you, do contact: jane@mordue.org.uk