Polio almost eradicated

London - The worldwide eradication of polio is almost complete, health experts have announced

London - The worldwide eradication of polio is almost complete, health experts have announced. Cases of the potentially fatal childhood disease more than halved in 2000 to just 3,500, with record numbers of immunisations as well.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, started in 1988, pledged to make the world polio-free by 2005.