Pakistan PM Imran Khan, Bill Gates discuss polio eradication efforts

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan held a telephonic conversation with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and discussed polio eradication efforts and the foundation's support towards improving nutrition in Pakistan, the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday.

Khan highlighted Pakistan's continued progress against polio and appreciated the assistance provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in this regard, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The country has reported only one case of wild poliovirus (WPV) this year and positive WPV environmental samples have decreased substantially," the prime minister was quoted as having said.

While the progress is positive, the work is still ongoing, he said, adding that his government remains committed to ending all forms of polio in the country.

Gates pledged his foundation's continued support to the Pakistani polio eradication program for ensuring that no child in Pakistan is at risk of paralysis due to poliovirus, the statement added.

--IANS

int/pgh