Police Officer Killed During Pakistan's Polio Vaccination Campaign

The attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highlights ongoing threats to health workers and their escorts in efforts to eradicate polio.

A police officer guarding polio vaccination workers was fatally shot by gunmen in Jamrud, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on the first day of Pakistan's 2025 polio drive.
The vaccination campaign aims to immunize 44.2 million children under five across Pakistan over the next week, despite security challenges.
Militants have historically targeted polio workers and their security escorts, falsely claiming the vaccine is part of a Western conspiracy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to eradicating polio, one of only two countries where the virus remains endemic.
Over 200 polio workers and security personnel have been killed in Pakistan since the 1990s, with rising militant attacks linked to groups like the Pakistani Taliban.