Polio eradication in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bill Gates and Efforts of Pakistan Government

 Islamabad, Pakistan – Continuing and sustained polio vaccination efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2022 are likely to determine whether the world can entirely eradicate the debilitating virus, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has said on his first visit to Pakistan, one of the two countries where the disease remains endemic.

Gates spoke to reporters at the end of a daylong visit to the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Thursday, during which he met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, top health official Dr Faisal Sultan, and other leaders.

Gates, a US-based billionaire who made his name as the co-founder of tech giant Microsoft, is also the co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is a key funder of worldwide polio eradication efforts, as well as supporting Pakistan’s Ehsaas cash grant scheme for low-income families and the country’s new Raast digital payments system.