Polio eradication: PM Shehbaz vows continued partnership with Gates Foundation

WEB DESK: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednsday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to completely eradicating polio, saying the government would continue working closely with trusted partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation until the disease is eliminated from the country.

The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting with Chris Elias, President for Global Development at the Gates Foundation, who called on him along with his delegation. PM Shehbaz said the contributions of Bill Gates toward Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts would always be remembered, adding that Pakistan was deeply grateful for the support of the Gates Foundation as well as Muslim brotherly countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.

He said the government was implementing practical measures through a comprehensive strategy and an effective team, and remained fully determined to eliminate polio from Pakistan at the earliest. Despite significant progress in the fight against the disease, the prime minister stressed that further emergency measures were still necessary.

PM Shehbaz said the federal government was working in close coordination with provincial governments to ensure uninterrupted access for polio vaccination teams across the country under an effective national strategy. He added that polio-related projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) would continue, and directed the Ministry of National Health Services to develop recommendations in coordination with relevant institutions to enhance public awareness and ensure vaccine availability.

Chris Elias appreciated the prime minister’s personal focus on polio eradication and the effective steps taken by the government in this regard. He said Pakistan was moving in the right direction toward eliminating polio and that the Gates Foundation would continue constructive engagement with federal and provincial governments and relevant institutions.

Elias also praised Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate the environmental presence of the polio virus and to ensure access for vaccination teams in all areas, describing the measures as commendable.