The Battle to Eradicate Polio in Pakistan

Epidemiology can be all about geography—and that’s especially true when it comes to polio. If you live in the U.S., where polio was eradicated in 1979, the specter of the disease has faded almost entirely, though pockets of infections can occur among the unvaccinated. In Pakistan, however, things are moving in precisely the opposite direction, and have been for a while now. MorePolio Virus Discovered in Brazilian SewageWhy Polio is Doomed and Gun Violence Isn’tMoney Over Medical: Why We Don't Yet Have an Ebola Vaccine NBC NewsAnd You Thought Your Beach Was Crowded NBC NewsAmericans' Views of Muslims Have Gotten Worse: Poll NBC NewsOne of only three countries in the world where polio remains endemic (the other two are Nigeria and Afghanistan), Pakistan had been close to joining the world’s polio-free nations, with only 58 infections in 2012. But thanks to bans on vaccinating—and deadly attacks on polio fieldworkers—by the Pakistani Taliban, the caseload rose to 93 in 2013. In 2014, the total reached 99 by July 18—a figure all the more alarming compared to this point last year, when there had been just 21 cases. Popular Among Subscribers Ending the War on Fat Subscribe The End of IraqHow Many People Watched Orange Is the New Black? No One Knows“It’s a scary number,” says Aziz Memon, Pakistani chairman of Rotary International’s polio eradication campaign. “Children in North Waziri...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized North Waziristan Pakistan polio Rotary International Taliban vaccinations Source Type: news