PM vows to eradicate polio at meeting with Bill Gates

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at a meeting with Bill Gates, the founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) renewed Pakistan’s commitment to ensure eradication of polio from the country.
The prime minister met Mr Gates on the sidelines of the 79th session of United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.
He thanked BMGF for its support in the effort to eradicate polio and underscored the need for sustained assistance to Pakistan, particularly for health system strengthening and maternal and child nutrition in this regard. He also appreciated the Gates Foundation’s engagement and support to Pakistan on polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, digitization, and financial inclusion.
The prime minister complimented the Gates Foundation for its polio campaign in Gaza given the challenges there and the plight of children. He also complimented BMGF for being a trusted ally in Pakistan’s socio-economic development and expressed interest in broadening collaboration in areas such as information technology, STEM education, agriculture, and livestock.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s efforts, Mr Gates stressed polio eradication was vital to protect its future generations from this crippling disease. He appreciated the Prime Minister’s personal supervision and engagement of the provincial governments in the polio vaccine program.
Mr Gates shared updates on a comprehensive health dialogue with Afghanistan and requested support for the initiative.
He also expressed his willingness to focus more on the pockets where the number of missed children or refusal of polio vaccines is higher especially where the morbidity of children is higher.