NEW YORK ( BMZ REPORT )
Mr. Bill Gates, Chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif earlier this morning. The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation to Mr. Gates for his generous contribution to polio eradication efforts in the country.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Pakistan to eradicate the menace of polio from the country. He briefed Mr. Gates on the steps taken by the Government in this regard, including establishing of the Prime Minister’s Task Force and the adoption of the National Emergency Action Plan on Polio Eradication which envisages to make Pakistan polio-free by the next polio transmission season in May 2016.
Mr Gates expressed his deep appreciation for the commendable work in Pakistan under the leadership of the Prime Minister in controlling polio in Pakistan. He particularly commended the emergency operations centers that have been put in place and are playing a critical role in bringing all relevant actors in one place. He said that there was an excellent opportunity to get the number of polio cases to zero this year. He said that the Prime Minister’s personal engagement with this process has been the most encouraging factor.
It was noted that the Independent Monitoring Board on Polio Eradication has acknowledged the significant progress made by the Government, particularly in accessing the vulnerable and missed children in the tribal areas, parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan andKarachi.
The Gates Foundation is one of the key polio eradication partners of the Government of Pakistan, along with World Health Organization, Rotary International and other donors including the Government of UAE.