Anti-polio push in areas freed from Daesh

Afghanistan

launched a polio vaccination campaign yesterday aimed at reaching children in areas previously controlled by Daesh militants, officials said.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic — a fact blamed on opposition to immunisation by Islamist groups, who claim the vaccines are a conspiracy to sterilise Muslims or a cover for spying. The latest five-day drive will look to reach about 9.5 million children nationwide, officials said. (AFP)