Health Workers, Facilities Under Attack in 23 Nations; UN Accused of Inaction

May 24, 2017Even one attack on a health worker is one too many.In 2012, two Pakistani health workers were out vaccinating children against polio when they were both shot by extremists. One of them died.The other, shot in the leg, had 11 metal rods inserted into his leg and was hospitalized for three months.In November, I met this remarkable man named Latif (his surname is withheld to protect his security). He is now fully recovered and back to work on the polio vaccination campaign. He told me he never considered giving up.Pakistan reported only two cases of wild poliovirus in 2017  as of May 17 and Latif is determined to see the polio campaign through to the end.The violence isn ’t always perpetrated by terrorists.The attack on Latif is only one example of a tragic phenomenon that is not getting better —violence against heath workers and health facilities. In 2016, the extent and intensity of such violence “remained alarmingly high,” according to a new report released by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition.  The report also found that accountability for committing these attacks remains inadequate or non-existent.The violence isn ’t always perpetrated by terrorists. Sometimes it is committed by the police or the country’s military—institutions that should be ensuring tranquility.Most of us have heard of hospitals and clinics getting blown up or polio vaccinators getting shot but the report indicates that attacks on health care take many forms. It n...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news