(Ovis Kayani) Bill Gates, founder and co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, met with the Prime Minister.
Mr. Bill Gates, founder and co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the occasion of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Referring to the visit of Bill Gates to Pakistan in June this year, the Prime Minister thanked him for the invitation to visit the Gates Foundation in Seattle in December 2024. The Prime Minister also appreciated the Gates Foundation’s collaboration with Pakistan for polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, digitalization, and financial inclusion.
The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to ensure complete eradication of polio from the country. The Prime Minister thanked BMGF for its longstanding support in this effort and emphasized the need for continued efforts and support for strengthening the health system and maternal and child nutrition in Pakistan.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio, Bill Gates emphasized that eradication of polio is very important to save future generations from this deadly disease. He appreciated the personal supervision of the Prime Minister and the initiatives of the provincial governments in the polio vaccine program across the country.
Bill Gates highlighted the Comprehensive Health Dialogue with Afghanistan and requested support for these initiatives. He also expressed his willingness to focus more on areas where children have not yet received the polio vaccine or where the number of refusals to receive the polio vaccine is high, especially where the incidence of the disease among children is high.
Mr. Gates briefed the Prime Minister on the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center’s polio and other health-related efforts. He also shared with the Prime Minister the BMGF’s work on nutrition, especially micronutrients for pregnant women, and how it could be enhanced by providing them with additional vitamins with the support of UNICEF.
The Prime Minister appreciated Gates Foundation’s polio campaign in Gaza. He called for immediate ceasefire and resolution of conflicts in accordance with UN resolutions. He praised BMGF for being a reliable ally in socio-economic development of Pakistan and expressed interest in expanding cooperation in areas such as information technology, STEM education, agriculture and livestock.
2024-09-27 22:10:23