Another Police Officer Falls Victim While Securing Polio Vaccine Team in Pakistan
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Synopsis
On February 19, a police officer was shot dead while protecting a polio vaccination team in Bajaur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This incident underscores the ongoing violence against health workers in the region, where militant threats hinder vaccination efforts.
Key Takeaways
- Police officer killed while guarding polio team.
- Bajaur district is a volatile region.
- Militant groups oppose polio vaccination campaigns.
- Local residents fear repercussions for participating in vaccination.
- Over 200 polio workers have been killed since the 1990s.
Peshawar, Feb 19 (NationPress) In yet another case of violence against health personnel in Pakistan, unidentified assailants fatally shot a police officer who was safeguarding the polio vaccination team in Damadola, Mamund, Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to officials from Bajaur police, gunmen on motorcycles launched an attack on the polio vaccination team that was conducting a door-to-door campaign to administer polio drops to children. The police officer assigned to protect the vaccination team was killed on the spot, and the attackers quickly escaped the scene.
The Bajaur district, known for its volatility and located near the Afghan border, has been a stronghold of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a battleground between militant factions and Pakistani security forces. This region has shown significant resistance to polio eradication efforts, with polio workers, police, and their supporters frequently targeted and murdered by militants.
Many local residents have distanced themselves from participating in polio vaccination initiatives due to threats from militant groups warning of severe repercussions if they allow health workers to operate in their communities.
Earlier this month, another police officer responsible for ensuring the safety of polio workers was shot in Jamrud, another district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Over the past several decades, hundreds of polio workers have been targeted and killed by militants. Reports indicate that more than 200 polio workers have lost their lives in Pakistan since the 1990s, with the toll continuing to rise as militant attacks escalate.
Various militant factions argue that polio vaccination campaigns are a part of a Western scheme aimed at sterilizing children.
This narrative has instilled fear in local communities, making parents apprehensive about vaccinating their children.
Pakistan has struggled for decades to eliminate the polio virus. Currently, it and Afghanistan are the only two nations in the world still reporting new polio cases.
In 2024, Pakistan documented at least 73 new instances of the polio virus. These included 27 cases from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and the federal capital Islamabad.
On February 2, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif initiated the first polio vaccination campaign of the year, aiming to immunize at least 44.2 million children under the age of five.
