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The cost of war: Polio rises again in Syria

Conflicts can lead to significant disruption and/or long term damage to the public health infrastructure, including basic sanitation efforts, maintenance of a safe water supply, basic nutritional needs, and disease monitoring and prevention.

Twenty-first century global public health requires both scientific and diplomatic skills. Diseases will not be contained if we rely only on the former. A peaceful end to religious and regional conflicts and an understanding of local cultures are crucial not just to ending the current polio outbreak, but to public health now and in the future.

Science, it turns out, is the easy part.

Read more about The Public's Health.