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The World Health Organization has declared the spread of polio is an international public health emergency. Outbreaks in Asia, Africa and Middle East are an �extraordinary event� needing a co-ordinated �international response�, the agency said. It recommends citizens of affected countries travelling abroad carry a vaccination certificate. The conditions for a public health emergency of �international concern� were met, said the WHO�s Bruce Aylward. Mr Aylward, WHO Assistant Director General, was speaking after an emergency meeting in Geneva on the spread of polio which included representatives of the affected countries. �The international spread of polio to date in 2014 constitutes an �extraordinary event� and a public health risk to other states for which a co-ordinated international response is essential,� the WHO�s Emergency Committee said in statement. �If unchecked, this situation could result in failure to eradicate globally one of the world�s most serious vaccine preventable diseases.� �Pakistan, Cameroon, and the Syrian Arab Republic pose the greatest risk of further wild poliovirus exportations in 2014,� the agency says. And the WHO lists Afghanistan, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel, Somalia and Nigeria as �posing an ongoing risk for new wild poliovirus exportations in 2014.�