Armed attack disrupts Pakistan's crucial health mission in remote region
Attack on health facility in north-west Pakistan leaves one officer dead and halts local anti-disease efforts. Nationwide campaign aims to protect 45+ million kids from dangerous virus
In a tragic incident on Oct 29th‚ unidentified shooters targeted a health-care facility in Upper Orakzai (a remote north-western region of Pakistan) where anti-disease teams gathered for their daily work. The attack resulted in one police-officers death‚ while security forces eliminated two attackers
The facility housed 13 health-workers at the time of attack‚ confirmed Mohammad Zeeshan Khan the deputy-coordinator of disease prevention efforts. “All medical staff members are safe and accounted for; however we had to pause local operations‚“ he stated
This incident happened during Pakistanʼs third country-wide health drive of 2024 — a much-needed effort to protect young population from a dangerous virus. The numbers show concerning growth: from just one case in 2021 to forty-one active cases now
- Local militant groups often spread false info about medical programs
- They wrongly call it a foreign plot against children
- Pakistan and its neighbor Afghanistan remain last two countries with active cases
The region faces growing security problems with militant activity in the north-west and ethnic-based unrest in southern areas. Despite these obstacles health teams continue their mission to give medicine to more than 45-million children across the nation
