Welwyn Garden City Rotary Represented at Global Polio Summit at the Aga Khan Centre

To mark World Polio Day 2026, Welwyn Garden City Rotary Club President-Elect and District Membership Lead, Amanda Joseph, attended a high-level diplomatic gathering at the Aga Khan Centre in Central London. The summit, titled "Polio at a Crossroads: Global Cooperation in a Fragmented World", brought together global leaders and diplomats to discuss the current status and future of worldwide polio eradication efforts.

The event was co-hosted by His Excellency Iván Romero Martínez, Ambassador of Honduras to the UK and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, alongside Rotary’s Judith Diment MBE, Vice Chair of the International PolioPlus Committee. It drew ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from more than 20 nations, including Austria, Colombia, Cuba, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Yemen, and Zambia.

District 1260 Representation

Rotary District 1260 was proudly represented at the summit by District Governor Dr Kendal Pitt, Cheryl Law, and Amanda Joseph. Special recognition was given to District Governor Elect Claudio Duran, who played an instrumental role in organising the event.

Keynote Address by the World Health Organization

Delegates heard an inspirational keynote address from Sona Bari, Manager of External Relations for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative at the World Health Organization (WHO). Sona shared moving anecdotes alongside up-to-date global case figures, praising Rotary members globally for their unwavering commitment to fundraising and advocacy.

During her address, Sona highlighted innovative fundraising initiatives, giving a special mention to Amanda Joseph for organising a sponsored wing walk that saw 12 volunteers take to the skies to raise funds for PolioPlus.

Expert Panel Discussion

A panel discussion moderated by Judith Diment featured contributions from Bob Maskall (Rotary Great Britain & Ireland Chair), His Excellency Luis Bermúdez (Ambassador of Uruguay), His Excellency Iván Romero Martínez, Sona Bari, and Dr Chris O’Callaghan (UCL Hospital).

The panellists addressed the remaining barriers to achieving complete global eradication, including:

• Digital Misinformation: Countering anti-vaccine rhetoric across social media platforms.

• Geopolitical Challenges: Navigating border access, regional instability, and conflict zones.

• Hard-to-Reach Populations: Delivering vaccines to remote villages while respecting local cultural and religious contexts.

• Surveillance and Reporting: Maintaining rigorous disease monitoring and rapid response mechanisms to detect and isolate outbreaks promptly.

A Continued Commitment

Reflecting on the event, Amanda returned with renewed determination to support polio eradication efforts both within the local Welwyn Garden City community and across District 1260. While global polio cases have been reduced by over 99.9% since Rotary began its campaign in 1988, efforts will continue until every child worldwide is safe from the disease.

For more information about Welwyn Garden City Rotary Club's international and local community projects, please explore our website or get in touch with our team.