How the Taliban is Bringing Back Polio

On a NYTimes blog, a harrowing tale of the conflict between religious extremism and the WHO in Pakistan. Fearful that the polio vaccine causes impotence (it doesn't), local clerics in northern Pakistan waged a campaign against the vaccine, and Unicef called off its immunization effort. The result: The first case of polio in the area since 2003. Some fascinating overlaps with the war against the Taliban in the area. Worth a read - and a longer exploration by someone.