Shehbaz, Gates for continuing efforts to eradicate polio

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Chair of Gates Foundation Bill Gates on Monday agreed to continue working together to not only eradicate polio, but also to strengthen health systems across the provinces, and to ensure prosperity for all Pakistanis, especially women and girls.

During a meeting at the PM House, the prime minister reiterated the firm commitment to eradicating polio as it remained the highest priority for the government and emphasized that all resources of the state would be employed to provide security to the polio workers.

“I will personally monitor national efforts until the crippling disease is wiped-out from our soil.” Bill Gates visited Pakistan at the invitation of the prime minister which he extended during his meeting with him in Riyadh on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Welcoming Mr Gates on his visit to Pakistan, the prime minister updated him about the government’s efforts to achieve economic stability and key advances in digital financial services, increased health coverage, climate change adaptation and efforts to eradicate polio. The prime minister deeply appreciated the Gates Foundation’s valuable support for the government’s initiatives to digitize the economy.

A digitized eco-system of the entire government structure would result in enhanced revenues that would help improve governance and the government would be able to spend more on public welfare schemes, he added. PM Shehbaz underlined that both the Government of Pakistan and Gates Foundation shared many goals including closing the gender gap, increasing health coverage, improving food security, climate change adaptation, and financial inclusion. He updated Bill Gates about key metrics of the progress made and the challenges faced in these areas.

Thanking the Gates Foundation for being the largest donor for the polio eradication programme, the prime minister outlined a robust and focused strategy to counter threats of increased wild poliovirus infections and the actions needed to overcome the challenge to completely wipe out the disease in Pakistan. Bill Gates thanked the prime minister for his continued dedication and personal interest in eradicating wild polio from the country.

He also expressed his confidence that with a sustained vaccination campaign and firm commitment of the government, polio eradication drive would get back on track to end polio following the recent surge in environmental detections. Bill Gates also underscored how Pakistan’s deployment of data science tools and digital technology were important resources to continue to improve the lives of Pakistanis across the country.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates visited the National Emergencies Operations Centre (NEOC).

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt General Inam Haider Malik gave a comprehensive briefing about the NDMA and NEOC encompassing the pre and post-disaster mechanisms that are in place to predict and cope any disaster including both natural catastrophes and human-induced incidents.

The prime minister and the Gates Foundation chairman visited different sections of the NEOC whereby experts briefed them about the operations of the organization. Bill Gates appreciated the state of the art facilities at NEOC and underscored the importance of predictions of disasters to mitigate the losses and to expedite reconstruction and rehabilitation in the aftermath.

He also appreciated the efforts of the current government in prioritizing the important area as climate change was adversely affecting the vulnerable countries as happened in Pakistan during the floods of 2022. Afterwards, an interactive session including the prime minister, Gates Foundation chairman, Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Cultural Heritage Attaullah Tarar, Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change Romina Khursheed Alam, entrepreneurs, climate change activists and experts was held.

The session discussed innovative steps and tailor made solutions for Pakistan regarding health, nutrition, gender balance, preventive diseases, climate change, disaster management, climate resilient agriculture and other multiple areas. The meeting concluded with a firm resolve of cooperation between the Gates Foundation and Pakistan to come up with solutions to the issues with mutual cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Bill Gates for his resolve to help Pakistan in multiple areas that would benefit the common man. Moreover, the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that the Federal Government along with all the provincial governments resolved to eliminate the menace of polio forever and said they were fully committed to control its spread through collective efforts.

Addressing a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication, the prime minister said that the polio eradication campaign in the country was progressing positively and they were close to eliminate polio but unfortunately, things turned negative as the virus returned back in certain parts of Pakistan, still it did not show that they had failed in their efforts.

Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates, ministers, senior officials and relevant authorities were present during the meeting. The prime minister assured Bill Gates that the government was fully committed ‘to continue its efforts in our own interests to protect the lives of our children and make them healthier’.

He said that during the last six months, they ran two nation-wide polio eradication campaigns successfully along with five others targeting the polio-hit areas. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also stressed that they would have to act swiftly to produce results in the coming days and months.

All the newly formed federal and provincial governments had completely resolved that they would spare no efforts to control the menace, he added. The prime minister told Bill Gates that they held a holistic security conference the other day and held lengthy discussions to counter surge of terrorism and other relevant security issues.

Recalling his meeting with Bill Gates in Riyadh on the sidelines of World Economic Forum (WEF), the prime minister said that they had held comprehensive discussions on polio eradication and health related issues of Pakistan. Lauding the Foundation’s efforts and donations for the polio eradication campaigns and for lifting of sufferings of humanity, he said that Pakistan had been a beneficiary of its financial support over malnutrition, and mother and child healthcare issues.

In the polio eradication campaigns, Gates’ cooperation and support had been consistent in the last many years to the tunes of millions of dollars, he added. The prime minister said that investment in the polio eradication programmes in Pakistan had been significant as during the year 2022 it stood at $240 millions, in 2023 $263 millions and in 2024 $297 millions.

He further informed that during the WEF, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also pledged $500 million dollars for the next five years. He said that there were other areas of cooperation between Pakistan and the Foundation, including the digitization of education and health sectors, expressing gratitude to Bill Gates for support over the digitization of Federal Board of Revenue.

The prime minister said that they would like to seek Gates’ advice on education and health sectors also. He viewed digitalization process to ensure huge dividends to Pakistan’s economy. He also reassured that the government would utilize all its resources for polio eradication and he would hold regular meetings with the provincial governments and all the stakeholders in that regard.

The prime minister also welcomed Bill Gates and his team to visit Pakistan on behalf of the people, the government and the provincial authorities. Speaking on the occasion, Bill Gates said that they had to address all the areas in a better way in the next few months to keep up the positive momentum. He said that they were committed to Pakistan in its efforts to eradicate polio and address other health related issues, including malnutrition, and mother and child health. Gates underlined that they should dedicate themselves to eradicate polio by making progress in the next six months and should continue their successful efforts in the next few years to completely efface polio virus from the country.