A tragic attack on a health office in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday left at least one policeman dead as unidentified gunmen targeted a gathering of polio vaccination teams. The incident occurred in Upper Orakzai, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where around 13 members of the polio team were present.
Mohammad Zeeshan Khan, deputy coordinator of the government body managing polio campaigns, confirmed the situation, stating, “We are in touch with local authorities and confirm the polio teams are safe.” He also noted that two militants involved in the attack were killed.
In light of the violence, the polio campaign in the area has been suspended. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assault; however, Islamist militant groups in the region have previously targeted polio teams, framing vaccination efforts as part of a Western conspiracy to sterilise children.
While polio has been largely eradicated in most parts of the world, it remains a critical health issue in Pakistan, which currently has 41 active cases, according to the prime minister’s office. Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only countries still struggling to eliminate the disease completely.
This attack comes amid a troubling resurgence of militant violence in Pakistan’s northwest and a growing ethnic separatist insurgency in the south. The timing is particularly significant, as just one day prior, Pakistan launched its third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year. This week-long effort aims to administer the anti-polio vaccine to over 45 million children, a necessary initiative given the alarming rise in cases—six reported in 2023 compared to just one in 2021 and 20 in 2022.
The ongoing violence against health workers poses a significant threat to the country’s public health initiatives, further complicating efforts to eradicate polio and protect the health of vulnerable children.
Melissa Enoch
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