NEW YORK: Co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates has reiterated Foundation’s continuous support and partnership with Pakistan during this challenging time. In his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in New York, he affirmed that Gates Foundation will continue its current support including disaster relief efforts in flood-affected areas of Balochistan and Sindh.

Bill Gates expressed his concern for people of Pakistan following floods. Prime Minister and Bill Gates discussed impact of floods on immunization and maternal health services and polio eradication in particular.

Prime Minister acknowledged need to prioritise maternal and newborn care in flood-affected areas and thanked Bill Gates for Foundation’s support to Pakistan’s relief efforts thus far.

On polio eradication, they discussed that eradication efforts are facing a challenging situation because of floods, especially after a recent rise in number of wild polio cases.

Prime Minister reaffirmed government’s resolve to pursue campaign relentlessly. They agreed to continue their collaboration with polio partners to urgently reach vulnerable children with polio vaccines through remainder of 2022 and prevent disease re-establishing itself in Pakistan’s major cities.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 24 2022

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