US business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates has extended financial and technical assistance to Pakistan to meet healthcare challenges.The offer was extended in a letter of Bill Gates to Pakistan’s newly inducted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and was delivered by Special Representative of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dr Waqar Ajmal, when he called on the premier on Tuesday.
In his letter, Gates congratulated the prime minister on assumption of his office and expressed confidence that the new government would lay special emphasis on immunisation and eradication of fatal diseases, including polio.
While reiterating his government’s resolve to eradicate diseases from the country, the prime minister welcomed the partnership of contributors like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in achieving this objective.
Letter to the president
In a separate letter delivered to President Asif Ali Zardari, Bill Gates appreciated the leadership role of the president in developing a National Emergency Action Plan for polio eradication.
While commending the president for his role during the recent elections, Gates sought the president’s continued support on polio eradication and routine immunisation during this time of transition in Pakistan.
Pointing out significant reduction of the polio cases in the country, he noted that cases of Polio were 62% lower this year than during the same period in 2012 and no cases of wild poliovirus type 3 have been reported thus far in 2013.
Bill Gates said that “we must not allow the recent attacks on polio workers to undermine the great work being done in Pakistan. The safety of health workers and the police officers who protect them is critical to the success of eradication efforts.”
Finally, Bill Gates appreciated the personal effort of Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari for their continued support in the campaign against polio.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2013.
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