Gunmen kill policeman escorting polio vaccine worker in Pakistan
2 years, 1 month ago

Gunmen kill policeman escorting polio vaccine worker in Pakistan

Al Jazeera  

The attack in Balochistan province took place a day after the start of a new immunisation drive. Islamabad, Pakistan – Unknown assailants have shot dead a policeman providing security to a polio vaccination health worker in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, the latest attack against efforts to protect children from the disease. Mir Ziaullah Langau, Balochistan’s home minister, condemned the killing and said authorities had instructed officials to ensure the safety of the teams taking part in the drive. This year alone, there have been four attacks, the last of which happened in August when two policemen guarding a team were shot dead by unknown assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district. Pakistan’s faltering drive to eliminate polio has often faced resistance from religious groups who believe the eradication programme is part of a “Western conspiracy” to sterilise the children.

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History of this topic

Karachi mob attacks polio vaccination team, 6 people arrested
2 days, 23 hours ago

Karachi mob attacks polio vaccination team, 6 people arrested

ABP News  

Karachi, Dec 20 : A polio vaccination team and their police escort were attacked on Friday by a mob during a vaccination drive in a densely populated area of Pakistan's Karachi city. “The polio team went to a house for administering the vaccine drops where the women present called two armed men and they attacked not only the health workers …

Amid rising polio cases, Pakistan begins last vaccination drive of the year
1 week ago

Amid rising polio cases, Pakistan begins last vaccination drive of the year

Firstpost  

According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the potentially fatal, paralyzing virus hasn’t been stopped Pakistan began on Monday its last nationwide vaccination campaign for the year to protect 45 million children from polio after a surge in new cases hampered efforts to stop the disease, officials said. According to the …

Pakistan reports four new polio cases, year's tally rises to 63
1 week, 2 days ago

Pakistan reports four new polio cases, year's tally rises to 63

New Indian Express  

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported four new polio cases, bringing the crippling disease's total in the country for the year to 63--more than a ten-fold increase from last year's tally of just 6 cases. Despite repeated countrywide polio vaccination campaigns, two new cases were detected on Friday in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces each, the Dawn newspaper reported, citing a …

Pakistan reports 3 new poliovirus cases, yearly tally rises to 55
4 weeks ago

Pakistan reports 3 new poliovirus cases, yearly tally rises to 55

New Indian Express  

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported three new poliovirus cases from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces taking the total number of infections this year to 55, according to a media report on Monday. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the three wild poliovirus type 1 cases, The Dawn newspaper reported. Dera Ismail Khan, …

Polio outbreak in Pakistan: This year’s tally at 50, new case from area where gunmen targeted health workers
1 month ago

Polio outbreak in Pakistan: This year’s tally at 50, new case from area where gunmen targeted health workers

Firstpost  

Pakistan has reported its 50th polio case of the year. AP Pakistan detected one more polio case in the restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, raising the country’s tally of the infectious disease to 50 cases this year, officials said Wednesday. The latest case was detected in Tank, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where militants often target polio workers and police …

Pakistan reports new polio case in northwest, raising nationwide tally to 50 cases this year
1 month ago

Pakistan reports new polio case in northwest, raising nationwide tally to 50 cases this year

Associated Press  

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan detected one more polio case in the restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, raising the country’s tally of the infectious disease to 50 cases this year, officials said Wednesday. The latest case was detected in Tank, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where militants often target polio workers and police assigned for anti-polio campaigns, according to a statement by …

Pakistan reports 50th polio case in 2024
1 month ago

Pakistan reports 50th polio case in 2024

Op India  

Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Centre reported another polio case, bringing the total number of cases this year to 50, ARY News reported on Tuesday. According to NEOC, the National Reference Lab identified the latest case involving a 20-month-old girl from Tank district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARY News reported. This is the second polio case reported from Tank this year, with …

Polio Cases Surge in Pakistan, Two New Cases Detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Polio Cases Surge in Pakistan, Two New Cases Detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

The Hindu  

Two new polio cases have been reported in Pakistan, bringing the yearly tally to 45. The cases surfaced in the Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan provinces, marking the second outbreak this year. WPV1, the causative virus, has been detected in 76 districts, highlighting a widespread transmission risk. The vaccination campaign, which began on Monday, aims to vaccinate over 45 …

Pakistan bombing kills seven, including five children, in attack targeting polio vaccination team
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Pakistan bombing kills seven, including five children, in attack targeting polio vaccination team

ABC  

A bomb which targeted a polio vaccination team near a girls' school in western Pakistan has killed seven people, including five children and a police officer. The attack follows the killing of two police officers who were guarding a polio vaccination team earlier this week. Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic and vaccination teams …

Pakistan begins new nationwide polio vaccination campaign after surge in new cases
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Pakistan begins new nationwide polio vaccination campaign after surge in new cases

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pakistan began a nationwide vaccination …

Two New Polio Cases Detected in Sindh, Pakistan
2 months ago

Two New Polio Cases Detected in Sindh, Pakistan

The Hindu  

Pakistan reports two new polio cases, bringing the tally to 39 this year. The cases were confirmed in the Sindh province, marking the first polio cases in the province since April. The latest cases are a girl and a boy, and come after four cases were reported a day earlier. Pakistan has reported 39 cases of poliovirus this year, with …

Pakistan arrest key suspect in gang rape of a woman polio worker
3 months ago

Pakistan arrest key suspect in gang rape of a woman polio worker

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pakistani police arrested the key …

Pakistan police arrest key suspect in gang rape of a woman polio worker
3 months ago

Pakistan police arrest key suspect in gang rape of a woman polio worker

Associated Press  

MULTAN, Pakistan — Pakistani police arrested the key suspect in the gang rape of a woman polio worker who was assaulted by three men during last week’s vaccination campaign, officials said Wednesday. The assault on Thursday in Jacobabad, a district in the southern Sindh province, was one in a spate of attacks targeting polio vaccination teams going door to door …

Taliban suspends polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, says UN
3 months, 1 week ago

Taliban suspends polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, says UN

Hindustan Times  

The Taliban-controlled government in Afghanistan has suspended all polio vaccination campaigns in the country, according to the United Nations. According to an AP report, Taliban had made no official statement and no reasoning was given for suspending vaccination campaigns ahead of planned immunization in September. Dr Hamid Jafari from the WHO said, regarding the possibility of shifting towards site vaccinations …

The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the UN says
3 months, 1 week ago

The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the UN says

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the U.N. said Monday. “The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is aware of the recent policy discussions on shifting from house-to-house polio vaccination campaigns to site-to-site vaccination in parts of Afghanistan,” said Dr. Hamid Jafari from the WHO. “The overall women’s inclusion in vaccination campaigns remains around …

The Taliban suspends polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the U.N. says
3 months, 1 week ago

The Taliban suspends polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the U.N. says

LA Times  

The Taliban has suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the U.N. said Monday. “The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is aware of the recent policy discussions on shifting from house-to-house polio vaccination campaigns to site-to-site vaccination in parts of Afghanistan,” said Dr. Hamid Jafari from the WHO. “The overall women’s inclusion in vaccination campaigns remains around 20% in Afghanistan, leading to …

Gunmen kill a policeman guarding polio workers in northwestern Pakistan
3 months, 1 week ago

Gunmen kill a policeman guarding polio workers in northwestern Pakistan

Associated Press  

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A pair of gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Thursday and killed a policeman guarding a group of polio workers going door-to-door in a vaccination campaign in northwestern Pakistan, police said, the second attack on the country’s anti-polio campaign in as many days. In a similar attack Wednesday in Bajur, also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a …

Gunmen kill a polio worker and a policeman during a vaccination campaign in Pakistan
3 months, 1 week ago

Gunmen kill a polio worker and a policeman during a vaccination campaign in Pakistan

Associated Press  

KHAR, Pakistan — Gunmen on motorcycles opened fire Wednesday on police escorting a team of polio workers during a door-to-door vaccination campaign in northwestern Pakistan, killing an officer and a polio worker, police said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Bajur, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, according …

Setback for Pakistan as Islamabad reports first polio case in 16 years
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Setback for Pakistan as Islamabad reports first polio case in 16 years

India TV News  

Islamabad: In a major setback for Pakistan's efforts to eradicate the poliovirus, authorities on Friday confirmed the first polio case in the capital Islamabad in the last 16 years. “This is the first human case reported from Islamabad in the last 16 years,” an official statement said, adding that the newest case marked the 17th polio case this year in …

Will Pakistan ever be able to eradicate polio?
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Will Pakistan ever be able to eradicate polio?

Al Jazeera  

Six poliovirus cases have been reported so far this year along with numerous positive samples. Health workers have begun a campaign to vaccinate 9.5 million children against polio in 41 districts in Pakistan this week. Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif, however, said the government “remains steadfast” in its aim to eradicate polio after a meeting with American billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates …

Rise in polio cases in Pakistan: Is there a way out?
6 months ago

Rise in polio cases in Pakistan: Is there a way out?

Hindustan Times  

Last month, Pakistan reported its fifth case of the deadly virus. "The cases this year are a striking reminder that no child anywhere would be totally safe from the crippling disease until Pakistan succeeded in eradicating polio completely," said Malik Mukhtar Bharath, the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's coordinator on national health services. "Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to operate in a …

Pakistan’s health workers fight the spread of polio
6 months ago

Pakistan’s health workers fight the spread of polio

Al Jazeera  

Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world where poliovirus is still endemic – the other being neighbours Afghanistan. Pakistan administers more than 300 million doses of oral vaccine annually with the help of at least 350,000 vaccinators, according to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme. Health workers, as well as accompanying security officials, are often harassed, ridiculed, taunted, …

Pakistan confirms 5th polio case of year 17 days after victim's death
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Pakistan confirms 5th polio case of year 17 days after victim's death

The Hindu  

Pakistan has confirmed the fifth polio case of the year, more than a fortnight after the victim's death, jolting the country's efforts to eradicate the crippling disease. With the onset of paralysis on April 29, the case was confirmed after six weeks on Saturday, instead of the usual three weeks taken for diagnosis, the report said, quoting an official at …

Pakistan reports fourth polio case of year
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Pakistan reports fourth polio case of year

The Hindu  

Pakistan has reported the fourth polio case of the year, jolting the country's efforts to eradicate the crippling disease. According to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, the newest case was also of the Type-1 Wild Poliovirus, just like the previous three cases. The Prime Minister’s coordinator on National Health Services, Dr. Malik Mukhtar Bharat, said teams have been …

Seven killed in Pakistan after attack on vaccination workers
11 months, 1 week ago

Seven killed in Pakistan after attack on vaccination workers

The Hindu  

An officer who was critically wounded in a roadside bombing that targeted police assigned to protect polio vaccination workers in northwestern Pakistan died in a hospital on Tuesday, raising the death toll from the attack, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, to seven. Police said in a statement that at least three officers remained in critical condition after Monday’s bombing in …

TTP militants kill six Pakistani policemen going to escort polio vaccination team
11 months, 2 weeks ago

TTP militants kill six Pakistani policemen going to escort polio vaccination team

The Hindu  

A bomb explosion targeting policemen going to provide security for polio vaccination workers killed at least six of them and injured 22 others in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on January 8, in the latest terror attack claimed by the dreaded Pakistani Taliban. The incident occurred in the Mamund tehsil of Bajaur district in the province bordering Afghanistan just when …

Pakistan: Five policemen on polio duty killed in blast at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur, 22 wounded
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Pakistan: Five policemen on polio duty killed in blast at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur, 22 wounded

India TV News  

At least five policemen deployed to provide security to polio vaccination teams were killed while 27 others were wounded in a bomb explosion near a police vehicle in the Bajaur district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Sherry Rehman condemned the attack and said that the "terrorists have attacked not only the police but also the health of …

Blast in Pakistan kills five police officers during polio vaccination drive
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Blast in Pakistan kills five police officers during polio vaccination drive

Al Jazeera  

Bomb blast kills at least five police officers deployed to protect polio vaccination workers in northwestern Pakistan. Islamabad, Pakistan – At least five police officers have been killed and nearly two dozen others wounded after an explosive device targeted their vehicle during a polio vaccination drive in northwestern Pakistan. Officials told Al Jazeera the blast took place early morning on …

Parents in Pakistan could face prison time for not vaccinating their kids against polio
1 year, 2 months ago

Parents in Pakistan could face prison time for not vaccinating their kids against polio

Associated Press  

KARACHI, Pakistan — Authorities in one Pakistan province are turning to a controversial new tactic in the decades-long initiative to wipe out polio: prison. In January, roughly 62,000 parents, mostly in Pakistan’s Sindh province, refused polio vaccinations for their children, prompting authorities there to propose the new law with penalties. “Parents believe that’s because the government gets grants and donations …

Gunmen open fire on police officers during anti-polio drive in southwest Pakistan, killing 2
1 year, 4 months ago

Gunmen open fire on police officers during anti-polio drive in southwest Pakistan, killing 2

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Pakistan's first case of polio in 2023 reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
1 year, 9 months ago

Pakistan's first case of polio in 2023 reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

The Hindu  

Pakistan has reported its first polio case of 2023 after a three-year-old boy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district became the latest victim of the crippling disease, according to a media report on March 18. The Health Ministry on March 17 said the FAD and BMGF delegations met the Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel to discuss avenues for cooperation in …

Pakistan’s War Against Polio Is Difficult and Dangerous
1 year, 11 months ago

Pakistan’s War Against Polio Is Difficult and Dangerous

The Diplomat  

On November 30, a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan suicide bomber blew himself up near a truck carrying police personnel protecting polio vaccination workers in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. A strategy that included religious figures worked: Resistance levels dropped from 4 percent in 2004 to 0.9 percent in 2012, according to a June 2013 UNICEF report, “Eradicating Polio: Working with religious leaders to enhance …

Pakistan launches year’s first nationwide anti-polio campaign
1 year, 11 months ago

Pakistan launches year’s first nationwide anti-polio campaign

Al Jazeera  

The three-day drive aims to immunise more than 44 million children under the age of five against the viral disease. Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan has launched its first nationwide anti-polio campaign for the year, aiming to immunise more than 44 million children under the age of five to protect them from the viral disease. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday …

Three killed as suicide bomb blast hits Pakistan police vehicle
2 years ago

Three killed as suicide bomb blast hits Pakistan police vehicle

Al Jazeera  

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claims responsibility for attack that targeted officers deployed to protect polio vaccination campaign workers. Islamabad, Pakistan – A suicide bomb blast has struck a police vehicle in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, killing at least one police officer and two civilians and wounding dozens, according to police. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan armed group, also known as the Pakistani …

Pakistan launches new anti-polio drive amid spike in cases
2 years ago

Pakistan launches new anti-polio drive amid spike in cases

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pakistani authorities launched a new …

Baby dies due to poliovirus as Pakistan seems failing to contain the crippling disease
2 years, 3 months ago

Baby dies due to poliovirus as Pakistan seems failing to contain the crippling disease

The Hindu  

A six-month-old baby died recently due to poliovirus in Pakistan, officials said here on Friday, as the country's effort to defeat the crippling disease seems to be failing. The baby boy was from the South Waziristan tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the health ministry said in a statement, adding that he had onset of paralysis in August. Attempts to …

Polio cases reported in Pakistan rise to 18 this year
2 years, 3 months ago

Polio cases reported in Pakistan rise to 18 this year

Al Jazeera  

A three-month-old boy in the southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province becomes the latest victim of the virus. Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani health officials say a three-month-old boy is the latest victim of the polio virus, making him the 18th case reported in the country this year. Poliovirus found in Karachi The discovery of yet another polio case follows the detection of wild …

Gunmen in northwest Pakistan kill polio worker, two policemen
2 years, 5 months ago

Gunmen in northwest Pakistan kill polio worker, two policemen

Al Jazeera  

Gunmen on motorcycles open fire on a team of workers during a door-to-door inoculation campaign in North Waziristan. Gunmen have attacked a polio vaccination team in northwest Pakistan, killing a health worker and two policemen – the latest deaths in a dangerous campaign to eradicate the disease. Since April, Pakistan has registered 11 new polio cases – all in North …

Gunmen kill polio worker in Pakistan vaccination campaign
2 years, 9 months ago

Gunmen kill polio worker in Pakistan vaccination campaign

Associated Press  

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Gunmen in northwestern Pakistan shot and killed a female polio worker as she was returning home Wednesday after taking part in the country’s latest anti-polio campaign, police said. However, militants often target polio teams and police assigned to protect them in Pakistan, falsely claiming the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. Since January last …

Afghanistan returnees provided free polio vaccination: Health Ministry
3 years, 4 months ago

Afghanistan returnees provided free polio vaccination: Health Ministry

The Hindu  

The Health Ministry has decided to vaccinate returnees from Afghanistan with free polio vaccines as a preventive measure, tweeted Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday. However, wild polio virus cases continue to be reported in neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan — the last two polio-endemic countries in the world. “Failure to eradicate polio from these last remaining strongholds could result in …

Attacks target polio teams in east Afghanistan, 5 killed
3 years, 6 months ago

Attacks target polio teams in east Afghanistan, 5 killed

Associated Press  

KABUL, Afghanistan — Gunmen on Tuesday targeted an anti-polio drive in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least five members of two vaccination teams in separate attacks, officials said. Along with the five killed, at least four members of the polio vaccination teams were wounded, said Dr. Jan Mohammad, who coordinates the anti-polio drive for the country’s east. In March, the Islamic …

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