At least 15 people have been killed today in a suspected suicide bombing outside a polio vaccination centre in the Pakistani city of Quetta. On the day the world celebrates 5 years since India recorded it’s last case of polio, this horrid attack serves as a stark reminder of the challenges the world faces in eradicating this deadly disease.

The attack happened in the morning as polio workers were getting ready to start their third day of a door-to door vaccination campaign. It is believed that the majority of deaths were police officers protecting the centre.

Vaccinators in the region have been the target of continued attacks like this for years. Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, is one of two remaining countries where polio is still endemic. In 2014 there were 300 new cases- the highest since 1999. This is largely due to hostility from terror groups who believe that vaccination programmes are part of a western conspiracy to sterilise Pakistani children. In reality, attacks like this only achieve one thing- putting vulnerable children in danger.

Significant progress has been made in Pakistan. The nation only recorded 50 cases of polio last year and many news agencies are reporting that the polio-drive in Quetta will continue despite the attacks. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has a plan in place to completely eradicate polio by 2019, but it needs to be fully funded to overcome all of the remaining challenges.

The attack on this centre this morning should be a wake up call to world leaders everywhere that polio eradication must be a global priority, now more than ever.

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