Our Preparations for a World Polio Day Observation

Utah Valley University Rotaract will host the World Polio Day Observation on October 22, 2026.

This years theme for the World Polio Day Observation is "One Day. One Focus. One World Without Polio. Understanding Rotary’s Role in Ending Polio for Good."

DATE: October 22, 2026

PLACE: Clark Building at Utah Valley University, Room CB206A. 

MODE: Hybrid. 

Presenters: 

1. Mr. Oliver Rosenbauer,  Communications Officer, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, World Health Oranization (via Teams).

                   

                   

                   Born in 1970, Oliver studied communication sciences (BA) and psychology (MSc). After spending his early career at a PR agency in London, where he

                   worked with pharmaceutical companies, he joined the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003 as spokesperson for the Global Polio Eradication

                   Initiative. In this role, he works closely with Rotary, Rotaract and the PolioPlus program. He has been a Rotarian himself since 2015, serving in the

                   Rotary Club Genève International. Oliver lives with his wife and two daughters near Geneva, Switzerland.

2. Dr.  Zubair Wadood, Senior epidemiologist for polio eradication, World Health Organization.

                   

                    Dr Zubair Wadood is a medical epidemiologist, currently serving as Team Lead for Polio Surveillance, Laboratories, and Certification at WHO   

                    Headquarters, where he oversees global surveillance strategies, laboratory networks, and certification processes for polio eradication. In previous

                    roles, he supported critical polio outbreak response efforts in several countries including Nigeria, Syria, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the

                   Congo. Dr Wadood also served as WHO Polio Team Lead in Afghanistan and Pakistan, supporting national programmes in the implementation of polio

                   eradication operations.

3. Mr. Clark Merkley, Past-President, Orem-Lindon Rotary Club  

               

                 Mr. Clark Merkley  received his J.D. and MBA from the University of Chicago and his undergraduate in Zoology from Brigham Young University. He was

                 the Executive Director of BootUp PD, Inc., a non-profit focused on empowering teachers and implementing elementary coding programs nationwide,

                 until his retirement in 2023. Mr. Merkley served as a school board member for School Districts in Wisconsin and here in Utah. Later on he worked as a

                 teacher in Springville Junior High in the department of math and sciences. He has also practiced law and represented non-profits, health care

                 organizations, and businesses.                 

 

             By Megan Ashcraft, President, Utah Valley University Rotaract.