LEIGH Rotary club are campaigning to raise awareness of Polio and rid the world of the dreadful disease.

While the Polio virus has been eradicated from most first-world countries, there were traces of the virus found in the sewage water in London earlier this year.

In countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan, however, the virus is still prevalent, which has caused some concerns about the possibility of transmitting the disease to other countries. 

The Rotary Club's 'End Polio Now' is raising awareness of the devastating effects of the virus in the 1950s, which left thousands of children paralysed and hospitals full of children using body-length ventilators dubbed 'Iron Lungs' to stay alive.

Early next year, the local Rotary club will bring an antiquated 'Iron Lung' to Leigh to highlight the lengths people had to go to in order to survive the debilitating disease.

Rotary clubs work in the community to raise funds for humanitarian projects both locally and across the world.

Over the decades, they have spent more than £2 billion on research,  vaccines, and fighting to eradicate polio.

Since 1985, global polio cases have reduced by 99% from around 250,000 per year to only a handful of people.

Leigh Rotary’s End Polio co-ordinator, John Bullough, said: “The Leigh club raises funds every year, separate to the Santa collection, to support End Polio and for every £1 we collect, Microsoft’s Bill Gates supports Rotary by giving an extra £2.

"Next February we have arranged to bring an Iron Lung to Leigh to make people more aware of this campaign.

"We are so near to ridding the world of Polio and together we can beat it!”

For more information contact leighrotaryclub@gmail.com