Meeting with Bill Gates, PM Shehbaz reaffirms his commitment to a Pakistan free of polio.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Chair of the Gates Foundation Bill Gates on Wednesday and emphasized his government’s firm determination to guarantee complete eradication of polio from the country.

The prime minister praised the Gates Foundation for its long-standing support in this crucial initiative and reiterated his personal commitment to eradicating polio during the meeting on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly here.

Recalling the recent visit of Gates Foundation Team to Pakistan earlier this month, the prime minister welcomed the involvement of the Foundation with Pakistan in support of polio eradication, maternity and child health, nutrition, immunization, digitization and financial inclusion.

Bill Gates acknowledged the efforts of Pakistan under the leadership of the prime minister and his direction to the provincial governments for the countrywide polio vaccine program and highlighted that polio eradication was crucial to protect the future generations from the crippling disease.

Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated the Gates Foundation as a reliable partner in Pakistan’s socio-economic growth and said that he was interested in expanding the scope of cooperation in sectors like public health, agriculture, digital innovation and artificial intelligence.

He also updated Bill Gates on the agricultural reforms his administration is implementing, particularly in terms of innovation, biotechnology, climate resilience, research and capacity-building for farmers.

The two parties agreed to look for chances to work together on developing better seeds, animal genetics and new agriculture technologies.

The discussion closed with a shared commitment to sustained and positive engagement to further deepen and broaden collaborations that promote sustainable development, technical progress and enhanced social sector outcomes for the people of Pakistan.

Remembering his prior visits, the Prime Minister invited Bill Gates to pay a visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.