Polio Australia is committed to standardising quality polio information and service provision across Australia for polio survivors. Polio Australia’s Vision is that all polio survivors in Australia have access to appropriate health care and the support required to maintain independence and make informed lifestyle choices.
The purpose of Polio Australia is to:
- Educate and inform polio survivors, their families and carers, and the community at large about the late effects of polio.
- Provide information, education and training to General Practitioners and a range of medical specialists and other health professionals to improve the diagnosis and management of the late effects of polio.
- Facilitate the provision of appropriate and consistent health, disability and aged care support services across all states and territories to improve the treatment and management of the late effects of polio.
- Provide outreach to culturally and linguistically diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander polio survivors to ensure their diverse needs are being met in a culturally appropriate way.
- Advise governments on policy development and programs in relation to the late effects of polio.
- Stimulate research into the late effects of polio.
- Assist the state Networks to support polio survivors and their families, friends and carers at the local level.
- Facilitate and encourage the co-ordination and further development of activities within and between the state Networks.
- Support and promote polio immunisation at a national level, and provide assistance to the state Networks to do so at the local level.
Polio Australia is a non-profit organisation and is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Health Promotion Charity and a Deductible Gift Recipient, making all Australian donations over $2 to Polio Australia tax deductible. Please click here for a copy of the Polio Australia Constitution. You can also click here for Polio Australia’s brochure or here for Polio Australia’s 2012-2014 Strategic Plan.
The graphic design is a three-dimensional schematic representation of the external shape of a poliomyelitis virus particle. The particle is symmetric, like a soccer ball (but ten million times smaller), constructed from five-sided segments (pentagons). The pentagons are artificially differentiated in the graphic by their different colours. On each pentagonal face of the virus particle there is a symmetric “hill”. To graphically depict these hills, the design shows five jagged “paths”, which extend from the pentagonal sides and transverse each hillside to the hill peak. The outer layer of the poliomyelitis virus is a thin shell constructed from proteins. The shell protects a molecule of ribonucleic acid (RNA) which resides at the centre of the particle. The virus particle readily reproduces itself and so a single virus particle is infectious.
Concept and original design: Peter Garde
Virology Consultant: Dr Peter Robertson
Final Design: Billy Blue Design and Writing
Polio Australia has badges for sale depicting the virus logo. Please click here for details.