Basic information about Polio with pictures from my trip to Nigeria.

1. Rotary is one of the largest and most influential international humanitarian service organizations in the world. Rotary’s 1.2 million members worldwide belong to more than 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. As volunteers, Rotary members have been serving the needs of communities worldwide since 1905.

2. Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux. Some parents, due to rumors and misinformation about the vaccine, refuse to have their children vaccinated. Volunteers then mark the house so another round of volunteers can convince parents of the vaccination's importance.

3. Rotary’s top philanthropic goal is to eradicate polio worldwide. Since 1985, Rotary members have donated their time and money to help immunize more than 2 billion children in 122 countries.

4. To date, Rotary has contributed more than $700 million and countless volunteer hours to fighting the disease.

5. Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux. Polio primarily affects children under the age of five, and it can cause paralysis in hours.

6. My shirt says“My LEGS are normal, strong, healthy. I am POLIO FREE! Once eradicated, polio will be the second disease after smallpox ever to be eliminated worldwide.

7. Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux. Children show off the indelible ink on their fingers, which is proof of their protection from polio. Because of these immunization programs, polio has been reduced by more than 99 percent globally.

8. Before a National Immunization Day (NID), Rotarians must get the word out in the community that they will be coming to an area.

9. This is an exciting yet challenging time. Rotary and its partners have reduced polio cases by 99% worldwide. 1,315 cases of polio were reported in 2007, compared with 350,000 cases in 1988. Yet polio still threatens children in parts of Africa and South Asia. Polio remains endemic in just four countries: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

12. More efficient and targeted oral polio vaccines now protect children twice as fast against specific strains of polio. These vaccines are now being applied systematically on a wide-scale to rapidly finish off the remaining strains of polio transmission in these geographically-restricted areas.

13. Rotarians often work with health workers to immunize children.

14. The world must remain committed in order to achieve a polio-free world. If we don't stay the course, experts say polio could rebound to 10 million cases in the next 40 years, and would negate the world’s $6 billion global investment in the initiative. The threat of polio anywhere is a threat to children everywhere.

15. Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux. Polio can be eradicated. With Rotary's contributions to the global polio eradication effort, the world will become polio free.

16. According to the CDC: Polio eradication will only succeed if the necessary funds are made available, and with strong political commitment in polio-affected countries. More than 10 million children will be paralyzed in the next 40 years if the world fails to capitalize on its investment in eradication.

17. Pictures from the trip: The team leader and my friend Ann Lee Hussey

18. From my journal – My first thought after my first day in the field – how can something this simple change the world? I felt like I did almost nothing today, yet I saved lives today.