Mount Gambier will be a hive of activity this weekend as the Rotary District 9780 conference is held in the Blue Lake city.


The conference, hosted by District Governor Ian McKay and the Rotary Clubs of Mount Gambier Lakes, Mount Gambier and Mount Gambier West, has assembled a talented collect of imminent speakers, on a wide range of social challenges, including the need to complete the eradication of the Polio virus from the world.


Polio still exists and if not completely eradicated it will explode to compromise millions of children.


In 1988 there were 350,000 children infected each year, in 125 countries.


Today through concerted, sustained efforts and funding, the infection rate has been reduced to 12 case in 2023 in 2 countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan.


Currently 20 million children have been prevented from being paralysed by the poliomyelitis virus.


To achieve this effort, Rotary and their partners have driven this eradication program over the last 35 years, raising and spending $2.2b and countless hours by volunteers on the ground.


The fight to end Polio, requires an annual effort, of immunizing 400m children, hiring 150,000 health workers to go door to door to find every child.


Rotary is committed to raising $50m per year to complete this program.


Gary Newton, polio victim, past president Rotary Club Geelong East and Polio Plus Chair will update the status, participation and funding opportunities.


A community walk to ‘End Polio Now’ will be held on Saturday at 8am and will travel for 3km from the Rail Lands to Crouch Street, Commercial Street and Wehl Street before returning to the Rail Lands.


All are welcome to attend.


The conference will be held in Mount Gambier from March 15-17.