Rotary District 9213 has called on the government, health workers, development partners and communities to sustain polio vaccination and disease surveillance and warned that any relaxation in prevention efforts could put children at risk despite decades of progress towards eradicating the disease.
The appeal comes as Uganda joins the rest of the world in marking World Polio Day on October 24, with Rotary and Rotaract clubs stepping up community mobilisation and immunisation advocacy to protect children against the highly infectious disease.
As part of this year’s commemorations, Rotary District 9213 will conduct a community vaccination drive at Bweyogerere Health Centre III in Kireku, Mukono District, while urging parents and caregivers to ensure children receive the recommended vaccines.
Polio is a viral disease that mainly affects children under five and can cause irreversible paralysis or death. Although there is no cure, vaccination offers effective protection against the disease.
District Governor Gerald Obai said Rotary’s commitment to a polio-free world must be sustained until the virus is eradicated everywhere.
“Rotary made a promise to all children: a polio-free world. Eradicating polio will be one of humanity’s greatest public health achievements. But history will not remember how close we came. It will remember whether we finished the job,” Obai said.
He said the progress made so far should encourage communities and partners to intensify their efforts rather than become complacent.
“We are closer than ever to ending polio, but close is not enough. Every child vaccinated brings us closer to a future where no family has to live with the fear of polio. Until the virus is eradicated everywhere, our work is not done,” he said.
Through its PolioPlus programme, Rotary International has worked for decades with governments, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Gates Foundation and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to finance vaccination, strengthen disease surveillance and mobilise communities.
Rotary International says it has contributed more than US$2.9 billion to polio eradication efforts and helped protect more than three billion children in 122 countries through its grants and volunteer activities. The organisation has also advocated for governments to commit additional resources to the campaign.
The global effort has reduced polio cases by more than 99 per cent since 1988, but health authorities continue to warn that gaps in vaccination coverage and weaknesses in surveillance could allow the virus to spread again.
Uganda recently achieved an important milestone when an independent assessment confirmed that the poliovirus type 2 outbreak detected in 2024 had been interrupted, allowing the country to formally close the outbreak in May 2026. The virus had initially been detected through environmental surveillance in a sewage sample collected in Mbale City, despite no reported human cases at the time.
The achievement has highlighted the importance of early detection, coordinated public health interventions and continued vaccination to prevent future outbreaks.
Rotary District 9213 said its network of Rotary and Rotaract clubs would continue mobilising communities, engaging local leaders and advocating for immunisation to ensure families understand the importance of protecting children.
The district is calling for sustained investment in routine immunisation services to reach every child, stronger public awareness to build confidence in vaccines, improved laboratory and surveillance systems for early detection, and continued prioritisation of polio eradication on Uganda’s public health agenda.
World Polio Day, observed annually on October 24, provides an opportunity to recognise the work of health professionals, volunteers, governments and international partners while renewing commitments to end the disease.
For Rotary, the campaign remains unfinished until every child can grow up free from the threat of polio.
