Pakistan

Attacks against hospitals and clinics from Afghanistan to South Sudan and Yemen have grown distressingly common in recent years, killing hundreds, forcing the shuttering of numerous medical facilities, and adding to the misery of already war-torn nations.

PESHAWAR: A health worker was assaulted and robbed on Saturday in Shagai Hindkyan village. Lady health visitor Shabana, who is actively engaged in polio vaccination campaigns, was attacked by two unidentified motorcyclists within the jurisdiction of Mathra police station. The assailants threatened to kill the health worker if she did not quit polio vaccinations and fled the scene.

Attacks on medical facilities, health workers, and patients have occurred in at least 17 countries undergoing conflict and civil unrest since January 2014, Human Rights Watch and the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition said in a joint report issued today. The report was released at the annual meeting of health ministers from around the world in Geneva from May 18-26, 2015. The 22-page report, “Attacks on Health: Global Report,” highlights recent attacks in countries around the world.

We are living in a nuclear state which has developed ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, trainer/fighter aircraft, tanks, and armed drones. But we are unable to ensure immunity for our future generations from crippling and potentially fatal diseases such as polio. It is not as difficult as it appears. When we know that polio teams are a soft target, we can devise a simple methodology to reduce the threat and keep the teams secure.

“Let me treat my patients,” pleads a Syrian doctor whose hospital has been repeatedly targeted. Around the world, attacks on health workers and facilities have reached new heights, and this violence affects women disproportionately. More than 75% of the health workforce in many countries is female, and many women are left without access to much-needed health services.