New York Times: In Polio’s Worst-Hit District, Vaccinators Strain for Access
“Shahwalikot, a district in southern Afghanistan that is largely controlled by the Taliban, has the sad distinction of being the polio capital of the world. Four new cases have been reported there this year, out of 17 worldwide — the indirect consequence of a war that is also killing and maiming children in increasingly large numbers. … Pleading for cooperation before the immunization campaign began, Toby Lanzer, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, said the surge in polio cases in Shahwalikot had the potential to ultimately put hundreds of thousands of Afghan children at risk…” (Shah/Mashal, 12/19).

Xinhua News: Polio cases reach 12 in Afghanistan so far this year
“The number of polio cases recorded in Afghanistan has risen to 12 this year with a new confirmed case in last week, a local newspaper, Daily Outlook Afghanistan, reported on Tuesday…” (12/19).