Pakistani media reported that in two armed attacks on polio vaccination workers in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions of Kurram and Bannu, one police officer was killed, and two workers were injured.
According to Dawn newspaper on Tuesday, December 17, another polio vaccination team in the Lakki Marwat area was also attacked by unknown assailants. In this incident, the attackers stole the workers’ equipment but did not harm the team members.
These attacks on polio vaccination workers come at a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a 550% increase in polio cases in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern about the rising polio cases in the country on Sunday, pledging to eradicate the disease.
The ongoing attacks on vaccination workers have significantly hampered efforts to control and eliminate polio in Pakistan. With the rising number of cases, these incidents highlight the dangerous and difficult environment in which health workers operate, particularly in remote and conflict-prone areas.
While the government has made commitments to tackle polio, the increasing violence against vaccination teams raises concerns about the country’s ability to achieve its goal of polio eradication. The international community, along with local authorities, must work together to ensure the safety of healthcare workers and support the fight against polio.
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