After paying a brief but productive visit to Pakistan, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who is also the co-founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has said that he is confident of wiping the polio virus out of the country soon.
Taking to Twitter a day after his first-ever Pakistan trip, the philanthropist appreciated Pakistan’s commitment to polio eradication and thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for productive discussions on the country’s efforts for the cause. “I’m encouraged by the country’s commitment to [polio] eradication and optimistic that if everyone remains vigilant, we can end polio,” Gates wrote.
It is pertinent to mention that Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is the biggest contributor to polio eradication in Pakistan and the rest of the world.
The tech billionaire had lauded Pakistan’s polio-eradication campaign during his time in Islamabad on Thursday, noting that despite COVID-19 restrictions, the country has performed “amazingly” in eradicating polio.
Gates had landed in the federal capital early morning and left the same evening after various engagements. He held meetings with senior government officials, including a one-on-one meeting with PM Imran Khan, meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication. The visiting dignitary also visited National Command and Operation Centre and National Command and Emergency Centre headquarters on the sidelines of the visit and attended a luncheon with federal ministers, hosted by PM Imran Khan. Moreover, President Arif Alvi conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan – the second-highest civil award in the country -upon Gates in recognition of his meritorious services for the people of Pakistan, particularly for the eradication of polio.