The Coffeyville Rotary Club has announced that they are partnering with fellow Rotary clubs around the world to raise money for an organization dedicated to the eradication of the poliovirus. The organization is called End Polio - there will be containers for folks to donate money in around town this month in conjunction with World Polio Day which is October 24.

“The eradication of polio has been a passion of Rotary for many years and we continue to work to end polio,” said Earlene Smith, the Coffeyville Rotary President. “If you see any of these containers, please give what you can to this worthy cause. It will be greatly appreciated.”

Today, only one strain of wild poliovirus (type 1) remains in circulation. Wild poliovirus type 2 was declared eradicated in 2015 and wild poliovirus type 3 was declared eradicated in 2019. The only two countries that continue to report cases of wild poliovirus are Afghanistan and Pakistan. The most recent report states 20 cases declared in Pakistan and 2 cases declared in Afghanistan.