Charlie Wasser Presents Polio Update for San Marcos Rotarians
Charlie Wasser recently moved into San Antonio, is a long time member of Rotary, and joined the Alamo Ranch Rotary Club. He is Polio Plus Chair for Rotary District 5840 and will update the San Marcos Rotary Club on the global service project of Rotary to eradicate worldwide polio.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a paralyzing and potentially deadly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. The virus spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can then attack the nervous system.
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 40 years. The goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since the first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Today only Pakistan and Afghanistan have active cases.
Rotary members have contributed more than $2 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort. Another major partner in the effort has been the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. THIS IS AN IN-PERSON LIVE MEETING AT SAN MARCOS ACADEMY
Visitors and guests are welcome and the meetings are free. Rotary is nonprofit, nonpolitical, and nonreligious. The San Marcos Club has been serving San Marcos for 99 years.