‘The payment is small and the paths are steep’: the women saving India’s remotest people from polio

Shameema and Tanzeela trek for miles in summer heat to vaccinate children in Kashmir’s highlands as part of a vast national programme Before sunrise, Shameema slips on her worn rubber sandals and checks the insulated box – the ice packs inside must maintain the crucial cold chain at between 2C and 8C (35.6-46.4F). She hoists the container on one shoulder and steps out into the dark. Tanzeela…