Attacks on Polio Teams in Pakistan Kill Vaccinator, 2 Cops

Gunmen targeted polio vaccination teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, resulting in the deaths of a health worker and two police officers, VOA reported. The violence occurred during a nationwide campaign aimed at combating the rising poliovirus, which has seen 63 confirmed cases this year, a significant increase from six in 2023.

The weeklong house-to-house vaccination drive aims to immunize over 44 million children under five. Ayesha Raza Farooq, an adviser for the polio eradication program, urged parental cooperation to ensure children receive the vaccine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies Pakistan and Afghanistan as the last countries where polio remains endemic. Insurgent attacks and misinformation about vaccination efforts have hindered campaigns, leading to thousands of unvaccinated children. Since the 1990s, over 200 polio workers and their police escorts have been killed in Pakistan during vaccination efforts.