Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Rotary Club of Japan has conducted a polio vaccination campaign in Karachi and surrounding areas to protect Pakistani children from the highly contagious disease.

The medical delegation, led by The Rotary Foundation, met with local officials who said that the disease had become a new challenge for the country and polio eradication is now a top priority.

MARUI Junko, representative of Medical Research Co., Ltd., a member of the Tokyo Chuo New Rotary Club, told Arab News Japan: “Local officials said that it was national policy to have all Pakistani children vaccinated against polio and with their support, we were able to administer the polio vaccine locally.”

The Rotary Foundation launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, when there were 350,000 polio cases worldwide each year. The Rotary Foundation reports that he has now seen a more than 99.9% drop in polio cases thanks to the support of related organizations and governments.

Polio (acute poliomyelitis) especially affects children under the age of 5. It is transmitted from person to person, most commonly through contaminated water. There is currently no cure, but it is preventable with a safe vaccine.