Polio Incidence Reaches 15-Year High In Pakistan As Violence Escalates Against Polio Workers

News outlets report on the resurgence of polio in Pakistan and the continued targeting of polio workers by extremists.

Associated Press: Polio incidence hits 15-year high in Pakistan
“The incidence of polio in Pakistan hit a 15-year high on Wednesday, as the prime minister vowed to rid the country of the crippling disease in the next six months despite a Taliban campaign to kill workers distributing vaccines for it…” (Ahmed, 11/5).

Foreign Policy: Into the Abyss: The Escalating Violence Against Pakistan’s Polio Workers
“This year has been a disastrous one for Pakistan’s campaign to eradicate polio, and 2014 isn’t even over yet. According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), there have been 220 cases of polio in Pakistan in the past 10 months, a number far greater than the 93 cases in all of 2013. … One of the central reasons for this increase is that extremists are successfully targeting polio workers in violent attacks…” (Sterman, 11/5).

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