To mark World Polio Day on Friday, 24 October some of Aberystwyth’s most well-known buildings will light up once again.

Some distinctive purple lighting will be used to light up of the National Library, Aberystwyth Public Library and the Bandstand.

According to Ardal Aberystwyth Rotary, ridding the world of Polio is closer than ever with huge contributions from Rotary Clubs around the world that have been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years through their End Polio Now campaign.

Joint efforts of thousands of Rotary Clubs continue, including our clubs in Wales, and to date more than £1.6 billion has been raised.

The virus infects mainly children under five because they are least likely to be fully vaccinated. Polio is a disease for which there is no cure and causes permanent and irreversible damage to the nervous system.

As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has been a major contributor in the fight to eradicate polio. Cases have gone from over 1,000 a day to just a handful each year – a reduction of 99.9 percent since their first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.

Ardal Aberystwyth Rotary Club President, Barbara Salerno, said: “Today, we honour the heroes on the front lines – the dedicated health workers and volunteers who vaccinate more than 400 million children every single year, often in the face of immense challenges. Their tireless work is bringing us closer than ever to a polio-free world.

“Our work isn’t done yet. Rotary’s aim in this fight is to eradicate this disease entirely which will make it only the second human disease ever to be eradicated.”

If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyse as many as 200,000 children each year.