World health organization

10 facts on polio eradication

A Pakistani mother, holding her small child.
WHO/Anna-Lea Kahn

There are just three countries which have never stopped transmission of polio

The three countries are Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. They face a range of challenges such as insecurity, weak health systems and poor sanitation. Polio can spread from these 'endemic' countries to infect children in other countries with less-than-adequate vaccination.

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