The World Health Organisation has declared Gabon a "polio-free country", given the lack of new reported or suspected cases in the central African country. <br/><br/>According to a WHO statement obtained today, the UN health agency nonetheless recommended taking the necessary steps to continue monitoring for possible signs of the disease. <br/><br/>Cases of polio have decreased by 99 per cent since 1988, when polio was endemic in 125 countries and 350,000 cases were recorded worldwide.<br/><br/>Now the disease is endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the WHO recorded four cases this year — two in each country. Last year, there were 37 cases globally.