Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with others have joined to pledge $650 million to finish the job of eradicating polio around the world.

Over the past two decades, the number of polio cases have decreased by 99%.

The number of cases dropped from 350,000 some 20 years ago, down to only 1,600 last year.

Cases are still being seen though in countries such as Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

The hope is that the job can now be finished as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have put out $250 million over the next 5 years to get it done.

They are joined by the group Rotary International, as well as the countries of the UK and Germany.

They have pledged $150 million and $130 million respectively.