Tremendous progress has been made in the global fight against polio since 1988, when the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate the disease. The number of polio cases worldwide has decreased from 350 000 in 1988, to fewer than 800 cases in 2003. Three-quarters of all cases globally are linked to a handful of polio "hot spots" in Nigeria, Pakistan and India. At the end of 2003, six countries globally were still polio-endemic - Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Niger, Afghanistan and Egypt.

The following maps highlight the global polio progress since 1988, the year the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched.

Country Profiles


Six countries in the world were polio-endemic at end-2003, the lowest-ever number. They are Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Niger, Afghanistan and Egypt.

The following provide a more detailed picture of the remaining polio-endemic countries. Click on the following links to find out more information about the six remaining polio endemic countries.