Pakistan remains one of the two countries in the world that has yet to fully eradicate the threat of polio. While a simple vaccination administered to children at a young age can completely solve the issue, religious extremism and a lack of institutional support have complicated efforts in Pakistan. Eradicating polio—an achievement considered routine in many other nations— has become a major campaign promise for most political parties. Yet, the challenges persist.

On Wednesday, a polio worker was reportedly abducted and raped in Jaikpabad while carrying out her duties. In Bajor, gunmen killed another polio worker and a policeman as they attempted to administer polio drops to children. These two violent incidents on the same day underscore the severity of the crisis Pakistan faces. The government often points to the role of religious seminaries, particularly during the US invasion of Afghanistan, in spreading rumors that polio drops were being used to medically alter Muslim children. This misinformation spread rapidly, a problem exacerbated by the fact that the US used a fake vaccination campaign to gather intelligence on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad. Unfortunately, these rumors have taken root in the minds of many, especially in Pakistan’s border regions. While re-education campaigns have been launched—and will likely continue—their effectiveness remains difficult to gauge.

One concrete action the Pakistani government can take is to bolster the security of polio workers nationwide. If preventing attacks entirely proves challenging, authorities can at least ensure these workers are better protected, even in hostile areas, allowing them to safely carry out their essential tasks. Pakistan has lost hundreds of polio workers over the past decade, and alongside Afghanistan, remains one of the last countries where polio is endemic, despite the existence of an effective vaccine.

Polio workers and the policemen who have died trying to protect them should be regarded as heroes, no less than soldiers who fall on the front lines. Pakistan must do everything in its power to safeguard these workers, so it can one day declare that not another polio worker has been lost in the fight against this disease.