Pakistan, Oct. 24 -- On World Polio Day, Rotary International reaffirms its decades-long support for Pakistan's efforts to stop the spread of the wild poliovirus in the country - one of two worldwide where the virus remains endemic, along with Afghanistan.

Established by Rotary to honor Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine more than 70 years ago, World Polio Day is an opportunity to celebrate progress and renew commitment toward ending the disease every October 24th.

Rotary, the first organization to envision a polio-free world, helped found the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, when polio affected 350,000 children each year in 125 countries. Today, thanks to Rotary and its GPEI part...