New York: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a sideline meeting with Bill Gates at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to eradicating polio completely. Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), praised the Prime Minister’s direct oversight and the coordinated efforts of provincial governments in the country’s polio vaccination campaigns.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s continued support in polio eradication and other health initiatives. The meeting also served as an opportunity to reflect on Bill Gates’ visit to Pakistan in June and discuss further collaboration on health, nutrition, immunization, digitization, and financial inclusion.

During their discussion, Bill Gates emphasized the importance of eradicating polio to safeguard future generations and highlighted the need to concentrate efforts in areas with high numbers of unvaccinated children or where vaccine refusal is common. He also mentioned the foundation’s ongoing health dialogue with Afghanistan and sought support for the initiative.

Additionally, Gates informed Prime Minister Sharif about the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre’s involvement in polio and other health-related support, as well as the foundation’s initiatives to improve nutrition, particularly micronutrients for pregnant women in collaboration with UNICEF.

Prime Minister Sharif lauded the Gates Foundation’s polio eradication campaign in challenging regions like Gaza and expressed a desire for a broader partnership with the foundation in fields such as information technology, STEM education, agriculture, and livestock. He highlighted the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and resolving the conflict.

The meeting underscores a significant moment of international collaboration aimed at health improvement and socio-economic development in Pakistan.