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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday assured Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, of his government’s commitment to ending all forms of polio from Pakistan.
In a telephonic conversation, Sharif and Gates discussed various ongoing public health and social sector programs supported by the latter’s organization in Pakistan. Appreciating the valuable support extended by the Foundation to Pakistan in polio eradication and improving immunization, nutrition and financial inclusion in the country, the prime minister reaffirmed Islamabad’s desire to further strengthen the fruitful partnership with the Foundation in all the ongoing areas of cooperation.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the prime minister expressed concern over the reporting of new cases in 2022 after a year in which no cases were reported, but noted this trend had abated in September. It said that Sharif reaffirmed that the government was actively implementing a special emergency response to ensure children were immunized against polio in flood-hit regions.
Gates, read the statement, deeply regretted the loss of lives in this year’s flooding in Pakistan and acknowledged the country’s efforts to eradicate polio. He also reiterated his Foundation’s continued support to Pakistan for ensuring that no child is at risk of paralysis due to poliovirus.
The prime minister and Gates also discussed various other government-led programs supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at addressing malnutrition and stunting, essential immunization services, micropayment gateway RAAST, and digitization of the National Savings Program. They concluded their call by agreeing to continue working together on shared objectives and in areas of mutual cooperation.