Thailand and 10 other Asian countries have been declared free of polio by the World Health Organization. The WHO certified the south-east Asian region polio-free on March 27 after years, without a single new case being reported. The countries recently certified were Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. Earlier, America, Europe, West Pacific had been certified. There are only three countries where polio is still endemic these are Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. The disease has been eradicated in 80% of the world. Thailand has been free from polio for 17 years, with the last case reported in Loei in 1997. Provinces have participated in polio vaccination campaigns throughout the years to boost immunity of residents.
