SEOUL, South Korea: Sept. 23, 2021 – Jimin, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, is supporting the eradication of polio, a devastating vaccine-preventable disease that once paralyzed 1,000 children every single day.
Jimin’s donation of 100 million won ($88,000) to Rotary's polio eradication program, will protect children in countries where the disease is still a threat.
“Thanks to the effort of Rotary and so many people, polio is coming to an end on this planet,” Jimin said. “I wanted to join this historic moment to make sure no child suffers from polio.”
Polio cases have been reduced by 99.9 percent over the past three decades, thanks to the efforts of Rotary, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Today just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, continue to report cases of wild polio, and Jimin’s donation brings the effort one step closer to a polio-free world.
“We expect the donation by Jimin, a member of the world's most beloved boyband BTS, will increase the global interest in polio eradication,” said Rotary International District 3590 (South Korea) Governor Im-Sook Kim. “Rotary will keep the commitment of Jimin and other supporters in its heart and make every effort to ensure that no child ever suffers from polio."