JOHOR BARU: The Rotary Clubs from Johor Baru Sentral, Puteri Lagoon and Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei recently collaborated with two other bodies to raise funds for the eradication of polio disease.
The collaboration with Sunway International School in Iskandar Puteri and Happy-Riders Connect Cycling Club led to a cycling event which has so far raised RM70,000.
About 450 cyclists from Happy-Riders Connect and members of the public took part in the event which was hosted by the Sunway International School. They cycled along a 25km route in Iskandar Puteri.
The event's organising chairman Eric Chang said there was a need to raise more awareness about the disease, while getting funds for its eradication.
He said all proceeds from the event would be donated to the Rotary Foundation's Polio Plus Fund and would be combined with one of the strongest advocates of a polio-free world, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"So far we have raised RM70,000 and hope to eventually make it RM100,000," said Chang.
Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, could strike at any age, but it mainly affects children under age five. The highly infectious disease is caused by a virus.
Chang said about 5 to 10 per cent of paralysed polio victims died because their breathing muscles were immobilised.
“Most people infected with poliovirus don’t exhibit any signs of illness and are not aware that they have been infected," he said.
"For others, initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and painful limbs. Those who exhibit no symptoms can 'silently' spread the infection to thousands of others before the first case of polio paralysis emerges,” he said.