The following is a summary of two blog posts examining the global spread of polio.

• John Campbell, Council on Foreign Relations’ “Africa In Transition” blog: Blog contributor Campbell examines polio in Nigeria and Somalia, noting both countries “are venues of a deep distrust of the West, and particularly the United States.” He states, “In Africa, polio appears to be a companion of jihadist insurrection, terrorism, and refugee movements,” and concludes, “So long as they persist, the international community’s polio eradication campaign will be challenged” (11/8).
• Christy Carnegie Fujio, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) blog: “The health crisis in Syria has reached alarming proportions, threatening not only the Syrian population, but also its neighbors, and requires an immediate international response,” Fujio, who oversees all activities for PHR in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, writes, and examines how “the collapse of medical services inside Syria” has led to the resurgence of the disease. “At the same time, large segments of the Syrian population are starving to death as humanitarian aid, including bread and other food staples, is blocked from reaching the people who need it most,” she states, adding, “Barring a cessation of hostilities, the deteriorating public health situation inside Syria can only be properly addressed by allowing much-needed aid to reach those forced to live in deplorable and dangerous conditions” (11/8).