RI President’s Message — 99 Percent Is Not 100 Percent

Originally published in the Governor’s Monthly Letter — October 2026. RI President’s Message.

By: Yinka Babalola

Rotary has been part of this fight for more than four decades. Together with our partners, we have helped vaccinate more than 3 billion children, contributed more than $3 billion to the global effort, and reduced cases of wild poliovirus by 99.9 percent.

But 99.9 percent is not 100 percent.

Wild poliovirus remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As long as it circulates anywhere, children everywhere remain at risk. And even after wild poliovirus disappears from a country, we must maintain strong immunisation and surveillance systems so the virus cannot find a way back.

The final mile of any journey can be the hardest. But we have walked too far, worked too hard, and protected too many children to stop here. Let us remember why we began.

Let us listen to those who have experienced polio. Let us be the generation that creates lasting impact and ensures no one ever experiences polio again.

– Yinka Babalola, President, Rotary International