THE eradication of polio from the face of the earth has long been a major project for Rotary clubs internationally and especially for the two Rotary clubs in Farnham.

The president of Rotary in Britain and Ireland, Dennis Spiller, has welcomed the funding boost of £100 million announced by International Development Secretary, Priti Patel.

Rotarians in Britain and Ireland have already contributed £30 million and the aim is to eradicate polio completely by 2020. Polio was wiped out in the UK in the 1980s and there are more than 100,000 British survivors today.

Globally, the wild polio virus still exists in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, with eight new cases this year. It is likely that the last new case of polio will be diagnosed this year, paving the way for the world to be certified polio-free by 2020.

As a direct result of the UK’s support to global efforts, which began in 1988, more than 16 million people are walking today who would have otherwise been paralysed. The number of people contracting the disease has been reduced by 99.9 per cent.

Bill Gates, whose Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a major contributor to this effort, said: “It’s fantastic to see such a generous pledge from the UK to the global effort to eradicate polio.

“With the steadfast commitment of key partners like the UK government and dedicated health care workers around the world, we are very close to ending polio forever.”

The Rotary clubs in Farnham regularly hold events to raise money to help this extremely worthwhile cause.

For more information about Farnham Weyside Rotary Club, see the website www.farnhamweyside.org.uk, call the secretary John Cattell on 01252 715048, or email [email protected].