THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel on the front lines of this battle is guaranteed. According to one count, over 200 polio workers and police personnel have been martyred in the field since the 1990s. The latest tragedy occurred only a few days ago when a policeman guarding a polio team in KP’s Karak area was martyred. However, while militant violence forms a major part of the threat confronting polio teams, these vulnerable men and women face other forms of violence and harassment as well. For example, three members of a polio team were attacked in Karachi’s Korangi area on Friday when they approached a home to vaccinate children. A number of women, as well as men, savagely attacked the team with hammers and shovels, while police personnel accompanying the vaccinators were pelted with stones. Meanwhile, two men are being investigated for an earlier incident in which they locked up a female polio worker inside a Nazimabad flat when she arrived to administer vaccines.

For those who attack and harass polio teams, the law must be firm. No violence can be tolerated against these brave individuals who risk their lives in their efforts to eradicate the disease. When people see there is punishment for such violent behaviour, they may think twice before harming vaccinators and police. Along with legal action, the state needs to continue public awareness and community engagement campaigns to ensure refusals reduce. Particularly in urban and rural pockets where vaccine refusals are high, community elders and religious leaders need to amplify the message that all minors must be vaccinated. Pakistan cannot afford to be lax in its approach towards the security of vaccinators and the health of future generations. Therefore, those who harm vaccinators must be punished, while anti-vaccine propaganda needs to be countered with the facts.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2024