Wednesday December 30, 2015
Kabul (BNA) UNICEF expresses deep sorrow at the attack on two women who were working as social mobilizers to support polio eradication in the city of Kandahar.
The attack by unknown gunmen killed one of the women and left the other seriously injured. They are among the thousands of Afghan men and women who volunteer to work selflessly across Afghanistan to eradicate polio by promoting public awareness and knowledge about the virus, the vaccine to prevent it, and ongoing vaccination campaigns. UNICEF expresses its deepest sympathy to the families of the social mobilizers who were killed and injured and salute the commitment and dedication of volunteers throughout the nation who often work in the face of adversity to end polio in Afghanistan. Attacks on health workers deprive Afghanistan’s most vulnerable populations–particularly children – of access to basic, life-saving health interventions. The work of social mobilizers is essential to eradicating polio in Afghanistan and is particularly important in Kandahar, one of the few remaining sources of the polio virus in the world. At a time when the country is closer than ever to interrupting transmission of the crippling virus, UNICEF and its partners in polio eradication remain committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan in their efforts to eradicate polio.
