PM Shehbaz Commends Polio Eradication Support

News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level meeting with renowned philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
Bill Gates, to review Pakistan’s strategic efforts toward eradicating polio and modernizing the national healthcare infrastructure.
During the constructive dialogue, the Prime Minister commended the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its continuous financial, technical, and humanitarian support over the years.
Shehbaz Sharif underscored that the complete elimination of the wild poliovirus remains a top national priority for his administration.
He briefed Gates on the federal government’s rigorously coordinated immunisation campaigns, which focus on reaching vulnerable children in remote, high-risk districts across the country despite operational and security challenges.
In response, Bill Gates recognized Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to health reforms, praising the tireless dedication of thousands of frontline healthcare workers and security personnel who risk their lives to administer oral polio vaccines.
Gates reiterated the foundation’s sustained pledge to assist Pakistan in overcoming the final hurdles in its quest to become a polio-free nation, noting that persistent surveillance and community engagement are crucial in stopping virus transmission entirely.
The discussion also touched upon broader avenues of cooperation, including digital transformation, primary healthcare strengthening, and climate-resilient social safety nets.
As Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the world’s last two polio-endemic countries, both leaders emphasized that synchronized cross-border vaccination drives and robust routine immunisation systems will be pivotal in achieving permanent eradication in the near future.