Killings of polio workers condemned by international agencies, Pakistan polio immunization program continues
Photo/Fast Track via wikimedia commons
Pakistan is one of three remaining polio endemic countries on the planet, so it was disastrous blow when suspected militants attacked polio vaccination workers, killing nine, some teenage girls, and temporarily halting the vaccination campaign.
This prompted The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, in addition to the Government of Pakistan to condemn the attacks, which deprive Pakistan’s most vulnerable populations – especially children – of basic life-saving health interventions.
The attacks took place in several locations in Pakistan – Gadap, Landi, Baldia and Orangi towns of Karachi city, Sindh Province and Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Those killed were among thousands who work selflessly across Pakistan to eradicate polio, according to a Global Polio Eradication Initiative news release Wednesday.
Immunizations were halted in some parts of Pakistan and the U.N. suspended its field participation everywhere until better security was arranged for its workers.
Fortunately, the Pakistani police are now guarding the polio workers, allowing this important work to continue.
What has prompted the killings of innocent health workers?
A rumor spreading through the country.
According to an NBC News report yesterday, some say that the government’s anti-polio campaign is a ruse by the Americans to sterilize or spy on Muslims.
One Pakistani lawyer said, “These vaccines are meant to destroy our nation. The [polio] drops make men less manly, and make women more excited and less bashful. Our enemies want to wipe us out.”
Some of this stems from the Dr. Shakeel Afridi-CIA connection.
Earlier this year, the Taliban wouldn’t allow polio vaccinations in the region until US drone strikes in Pakistan ceased.
As of September, Pakistan had seen 35 cases of polio, a drop from the 89 cases seen during the same period last year.
Two-thirds of all cases in known worst-performing districts in Balochistan and FATA, affecting particularly Pashtun populations
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