Strongly condemning the attacks on anti-polio campaign workers in Pakistan, the US has said nothing justifies violence against health workers.
“Our sympathy goes out to the victims of the violence today against healthcare workers in Pakistan and also to the greater community in the area and the children there who are right now being denied access to basic health services and interventions,” state department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.
“Any attack on health workers anywhere in the world is unacceptable,” she said in response to a question. “The safety and sanctity of health workers needs to be respected as does the provision of healthcare, and that should be kept neutral in any kind of a conflict or disagreement,” she said.
“Together with the government of Pakistan and the larger international community, we condemn these attacks in their strongest terms,” Nuland said. The United States, she said, has supported efforts not only in Pakistan, but around the world to provide accurate information to the public about these kinds of vaccines. “We have continued to do that in Pakistan. Nothing justifies violence against health workers,” she said.