Around 200 Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors gathered in Ulaanbaatar’s National Park on 26 September for the EndPolio Walk, an event that renewed Rotary’s support for global immunisation efforts and the eradication of polio worldwide.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, District Secretary – Mongolia Affairs João Pinto reminded that the campaign was about achieving a goal that transcends countries, organisations and generations. “We are walking for a world without polio,” he told the participants.
He described the walk as both a celebration of progress and a reminder that infectious diseases can cross borders and that gains can be reversed if vigilance declines.
“A vaccine may take only a moment to administer, but the protection it provides can last a lifetime,” he said.
Mongolia has remained free of confirmed wild poliovirus cases since 1999, maintaining its polio-free status for over two decades. Sustained vaccination programmes and disease surveillance have been essential to preserving this clean record.
