CDC director and Time senior editor will headline World Polio Day

Posted on Oct 21, 2016
 
Jeffrey Kluger, who oversees health and science coverage for Time, will join health officials and Rotary leaders in Atlanta for World Polio Day.
 
Held for the first time at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Rotary's annual World Polio Day event on 24 October will bring together the biggest names in the global fight to eradicate polio.
 
The event will feature CDC Director Thomas Frieden, Time magazine senior editor Jeffrey Kluger, National Geographic writer Maryn McKenna, Rotary International President John F. Germ, Vice President Jennifer E. Jones, and surprise guests.
 
In a recent interview with The Rotarian, Frieden spoke about what he's learned as head of the U.S. public health system since 2009:
 
"Rotarians' continued support for global polio eradication efforts is critical," says Frieden, who will give a global update on the campaign to end polio. "Once polio is eradicated, we have to continue to apply the lessons learned from its eradication to get to the next public health victory."
 
Kluger, a veteran moderator of our World Polio Day events, has covered health and science for Time since 1996. He's written books about space exploration, the effects of sibling relationships, and, in 2006, Jonas Salk's polio vaccine.
 
Rotary will also debut a virtual reality presentation that will transport viewers to the streets of India and Kenya, where they'll meet polio survivors and hear their poignant stories. This virtual reality experience, a product of cutting-edge computer technology and a collaboration with UNICEF, will be available to view online after the event.
 
Canadian television personality Shira Lazar, host of "What's Trending" on YouTube, will moderate a special social media segment and share posts from World Polio Day celebrations around the globe.
  • Register your event here for a chance to be recognized at the Atlanta event, or be featured on Rotary's website and social channels.
  • Watch the video coverage, which will be streamed live from Atlanta and available to view online anytime, at endpolio.org.
  • Read an interview with CDC Director Thomas Frieden in the October issue of The Rotarian.
17-Oct-2016