Polio eradication will be only the second human disease next to smallpox\, to be eradicated from the planet. In 1988\, when we started\, there were 350\,000 children paralysed every year\, across ALL countries\, by polio. In 2017 there were 22 and they were in just two countries. Polio is much hard than smallpox was to eradicate. There are many reasons for this\, the virus can survive outside the body in water and only a tiny number of infected people show any symptoms being two. Polio eradication is '\;This Close'\;\, indeed we are on a \;
Countdown to History\, but the final stage is the most expensive\, and expected to cost about US$7 \;
billion. \;