Rotary Club of Accra-Airport launches Arise for Polio 2026 initiative

The Rotary Club of Accra-Airport has launched a new initiative titled "ARISE FOR POLIO 2026," aimed at galvanizing support for the final stages of global polio eradication. During the launch event, club members emphasized that while the world has made significant strides in reducing the prevalence of the virus, a concerted effort is required to ensure that no child ever suffers from the paralyzing disease again. The initiative seeks to unite governments, businesses, and local communities in a shared mission to provide the necessary funding and vaccination coverage to protect future generations.

David Kwatia Nyante, President of the Rotary Club of Accra-Airport, reflected on the historical progress made since Rotary International first introduced its PolioPlus program in 1985. At that time, polio paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children every year. However, through persistent vaccination campaigns, global efforts have successfully restricted the wild poliovirus to being endemic in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nyante noted that this progress demonstrates what is possible through global cooperation but warned against complacency in the final stretch of the eradication effort.

Supporting these sentiments, Gertrude Adzo Akpalu, the chair of Ghana National PolioPlus, highlighted that global polio cases have been reduced by 99.9%. She called for continued collaboration between all sectors of society to make history by ending the disease permanently. Keynote speaker Jack Andrews Dotsey further stressed that as long as the virus exists in any part of the world, children in every country remain at risk. The campaign aims to bridge the remaining gap in resources and awareness to achieve a polio-free world.

The initiative serves as a reminder that the final stage of the eradication journey is often the most difficult, requiring sustained political will and financial commitment. By focusing on the 2026 milestone, the Rotary Club of Accra-Airport is positioning itself at the forefront of the advocacy effort in Ghana, encouraging local stakeholders to contribute to a global legacy of health and safety for all children.