Gates Foundation Delegation Meets PM Shehbaz Sharif, Reaffirms Commitment to Polio Eradication
Islamabad,Report By Muhammad Saleem — A delegation from the Gates Foundation, including representatives Kalpana Kochhar and Anita Zaidi, met with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday.The Prime Minister praised the Gates Foundation’s sustained support and partnership amid Pakistan’s development challenges, saying the country remains committed to achieving the shared goal of…
Islamabad,Report By Muhammad Saleem — A delegation from the Gates Foundation, including representatives Kalpana Kochhar and Anita Zaidi, met with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday.
The Prime Minister praised the Gates Foundation’s sustained support and partnership amid Pakistan’s development challenges, saying the country remains committed to achieving the shared goal of complete polio eradication, with the National Polio Eradication Programme enjoying patronage at the highest level. He noted the Foundation’s valuable contributions in polio eradication, health, nutrition, financial inclusion, and welfare of vulnerable communities.
Sharif outlined that digital payments, food security, maternal and newborn health, poverty alleviation, and climate change are key reform priorities under the government’s governance reform agenda, describing a cashless economy as central to that agenda. He said the goal of a “cashless Pakistan” is to simplify citizens’ lives, increase transparency in government systems, and ensure public funds reach beneficiaries without delay or leakage. He added that joint efforts between the government and the Gates Foundation are driving growth in digital payments, and that deserving women should receive financial support directly, securely, and with dignity.
The Prime Minister expressed his desire to work with the Foundation on focused initiatives for women’s financial inclusion and economic empowerment. The meeting also covered ways to further strengthen cooperation and partnership between Pakistan and the Gates Foundation.
