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The President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi met the Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, Bill Gates. The President also honored him and presented the Hilal-e-Pakistan award. He received the award at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad during a special investiture ceremony. Senior government officials, federal ministers, and members of the diplomatic community also attended the ceremony.

Moreover, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a charity organization. It is performing a major role in the fight against polio in Pakistan. The Foundation is also supporting the financial system in the country with participation in various fields. It dedicated $300 million in 2017, to support farmers in Asia and Africa to survive climate change impacts. The Foundation also devoted $1.75 billion in 2020, to help the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Founder of Microsoft Corporation

He started his education at Lakeside School (1967-1973) and Harvard University (1973-1975). Gates established Microsoft aiming at a vision of a computer on every desktop in every home. He is a co-founder of the world’s largest personal computer software company, Microsoft Corporation.

He is the founder and chairman of various companies, including Cascade Investment, BEN, Terra Power, and bgC3. Bill Gates and his wife Melinda contested the global health community in 2010, to claim the Decade of Vaccines. They promised $10 billion during the next 10 years to support research, development, and delivery of vaccines. The delivery of vaccines is specific to the poorest countries in the world.

PM Imran Khan met with Bill Gates

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan arranged a meeting with Bill Gates. They discussed various issues related to health such as the elimination of polio from the country. Gates appreciated the efforts of the Pakistani government, during the meeting, for preventing polio spread. PM said the country is now polio-free for one year. The cooperation for polio vaccination from parents and great efforts from polio workers were much satisfactory.

Bill Gates also affirmed that his Foundation will not stop cooperation with Pakistan. He visited Pakistan Polio Program after his arrival in Islamabad. He was briefed on the polio elimination campaign, challenges, and progress to protect children in the country. Moreover, the special assistant to PM Imran Khan, Dr. Faisal Sultan was also present in the briefing.

Pakistan National Task Force on Polio Eradication

The founder of Microsoft admired Pakistan’s polio-elimination program and excellent efforts. He also met with the National Task Force on Polio Eradication. PM Imran Khan blessed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its remarkable participation in the elimination of poliovirus. Gates also thanked PM for inviting him and warm welcome on his visit. He acknowledged the struggle of the Pakistani government, health workers, and parents for hard-working in the elimination of polio disease.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan is giving full support to 40 million Afghan people to fulfill their basic needs. He said Afghan refugees were the major source of polio influence from its 2 bordering provinces. PM stressed that people in Afghanistan are in urgent need of international support to combat the increasing humanitarian crisis. Imran Khan also directed deputy commissioners of southern districts of KPK to keep attentive and anticipative against the poliovirus spread.