Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
Before eradication efforts began in 1988, polio paralyzed more than 1,000 children a day.
Polio immunization posters
Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
Volunteers in India must get the word out in the community that they will be coming to an area.
Posters are placed in communities to help educate families on how to protect their children from contracting polio and communicate when and where immunization activities will occur.
Immunization activity planning
Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
Volunteers and health workers develop detailed maps and routes for polio immunization activities.
Mobilization in action
Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
Volunteers and health workers in India prepare to transport the vaccine. The blue vaccine carriers are equipped with ice packs to keep the polio vaccine cold.
Polio vaccine cold chain
Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
Volunteers in India help load cold polio vaccine into a truck adorned with a banner that identifies when and where polio immunization activities are taking place.
Megaphones help promote polio immunization activit
Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
In some areas that lack modern means of communication, town criers use megaphones, often funded through Rotary's PolioPlus Partners program, to get the word out about upcoming NIDs.
An Indian child is immunized from polio
Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
Once the vaccine is distributed, Rotarians work with health workers to immunize children.
Incentives for children
Incentives like hats and whistles attract children to immunization sites. Polio primarily affects children under the age of three, and it can cause paralysis in hours.
Incentives for children
Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux
Because of high-quality immunization activities, polio has been reduced by more than 99 percent globally.