Polio teams were attacked at two separate locations in Lahore during the recently concluded national anti-polio campaign, raising concerns over the safety of frontline health workers despite large-scale vaccination success across the country.
Incidents of violence were reported in Lahore’s Harbanspura and Shahdara areas. In Harbanspura, eight people, including three women, allegedly assaulted a polio team during door-to-door vaccination.
According to police, the team in-charge of Union Council 44, Nadeem Ashraf, along with his staff, was tortured during the incident. Harbanspura police station registered a case following the attack.
Shahdara incident
A separate incident took place in Chaman Colony, Shahdara, where a polio team administering anti-polio drops was targeted. According to the FIR, Naeem’s wife Maria and her children allegedly beat the polio workers.
A case was registered under various sections at Shahdara police station on the complaint of polio in-charge Arifa Tahir. Despite the violence, anti-polio drops were administered in the area along with the team, as stated in the FIR.
Police confirmed that cases have been registered in both incidents and investigations are ongoing. Authorities reiterated that attacks on polio workers would be dealt with strictly under the law.
Health officials stressed that such incidents threaten public health efforts and endanger workers performing critical national duties.
First national anti-polio campaign
Meanwhile, the first national anti-polio campaign of 2026 has officially concluded. The National Emergency Operation Center released its post-campaign report highlighting extensive vaccination coverage.
The campaign was held simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, targeting millions of children across all regions.
According to the report, more than 44.3 million children were vaccinated against polio nationwide. In Punjab, over 22.9 million children received polio drops.
More than 15 million children were vaccinated in Sindh, while 7.13 million children were covered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Balochistan, vaccinations reached 2.36 million children.
Coverage in federal, northern regions
The report further stated that 455,000 children were vaccinated in Islamabad. In Gilgit-Baltistan, 261,000 children received polio drops.
Additionally, 673,000 children were vaccinated in Azad Kashmir, completing nationwide coverage targets for the campaign.
Health authorities acknowledged that while vaccination targets were largely achieved, incidents of violence pose serious challenges. They called for public cooperation to ensure the safety of polio workers and the complete eradication of the virus.
Officials reiterated that protecting frontline health teams is essential for sustaining progress against polio.
