Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed his resolve to completely eradicate polio from the country.

He made these remarks while addressing a meeting of the National Taskforce for Polio Eradication in Islamabad today, attended by Bill Gates and officials of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

This is the second time Gates has visited Pakistan. He previously met the then-PM Imran Khan in February 2022 on the premier’s “special invitation”.

During the meeting, the premier said the federal and provincial governments were working in unison with unflinching commitment to wipe out this menace forever.

“We have undertaken five polio campaigns in the last six months,” he informed the officials of the BMGF.

Shehbaz Sharif told the meeting that the polio eradication efforts will produce results in weeks and months.

PM Shehbaz also mentioned other areas of mutual cooperation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation including digitisation, saying it would bring huge dividends to Pakistan’s economy.

He lauded and acknowledged the contribution of Bill Gates to suffering humanity especially in the eradication of polio and malnutrition in Pakistan and in areas of mother and child healthcare.

Speaking on the occasion, Bill Gates said the Foundation’s program to end polio in Pakistan will continue for the next two and a half to three years to ensure absolute zero polio cases in the country.