Washington Post examines polio eradication efforts in Pakistan

The Washington Post reports on polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, writing, "[O]verall trends in Pakistan, where nearly 30 million children have been vaccinated in recent years, are encouraging." The newspaper writes, "Last year's cases numbered 198 nationwide," adding, "This year's tally is 54." However, "the intractability of other social ills, including insurgency, poverty, illiteracy and inadequate sanitation, have conspired to ensure that the country remains years away from meeting its goal of polio eradication by the dawn of 2013," the newspaper notes. The Washington Post discusses a number of challenges to vaccination efforts, such as a Taliban ban on vaccinations and fear among some parents that "the drops contain religiously proscribed ('non-halal') ingredients or are part of a Western plot to spread infertility and limit Muslim population growth." The newspaper adds, "One key to reducing outbreaks, U.N. health workers say, is to educate parents" (Leiby, 11/16).