Two sides agree to cooperate in developing improved seeds, livestock genetics, emerging agricultural technologies
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates in New York. PHOTO: PMO
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Bill Gates in New York on Wednesday to discuss Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio, as he was in the US to attend the UN General Assembly session, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
According to the statement issued by the PMO, PM Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to completely eradicating polio and thanked the Gates Foundation for its longstanding support for the country’s efforts.
Bill Gates praised Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to eliminate the disease under Shehbaz’s leadership, saying eradication was crucial to protecting future generations from polio, the PMO said.
Gates also appreciated PM Shehbaz’s personal guidance to provincial governments on the nationwide polio vaccination programme.
Read: Two cops guarding polio team martyred in Balochistan’s Noshki
The prime minister also discussed the Gates Foundation’s recent visit to Pakistan and its cooperation with the country in areas including polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunisation, digitalisation and financial inclusion, according to the PMO.
PM Shehbaz welcomed the foundation’s role as a trusted partner in Pakistan’s socio-economic development and expressed interest in expanding cooperation in public health, agriculture, digital innovation and artificial intelligence.
He also briefed Gates on reforms in Pakistan’s agriculture sector, with a focus on innovation, biotechnology, climate resilience, research, and improving farmers’ capacity.
The two sides agreed to explore cooperation in developing improved seeds, livestock genetics and emerging agricultural technologies.
PM Shehbaz also invited Gates to visit Pakistan again soon, the PMO said.
Polio persists in Pakistan
Pakistan’s latest polio case was detected in an eight-month-old child in Bannu district, taking the national tally to four in 2026. The child was from Noor Union Council in Miryan tehsil, where vaccination teams had struggled to reach children consistently since 2025 because of security constraints. Three of the four cases reported this year have come from Bannu Division.
The persistence of the virus has been linked to children missing vaccinations in areas where insecurity restricts access. While overall transmission had declined, poliovirus continued to circulate in southern K-P, with access constraints allowing children to miss critical doses. Pakistan recorded 74 cases in 2024 and 31 in 2025, after cases had fallen sharply in previous years.
Security is therefore a major challenge for eradication efforts, with vaccination teams requiring protection to reach children in high-risk areas. The Express Tribune has also reported continuing concerns over vaccination gaps, community resistance and misinformation, while officials have stressed that children who are missed during campaigns remain vulnerable to infection.
Also read: The dilemma of our polio workforce
After a significant reduction in cases, from 147 in 2019 to just one in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence. Since September 2023, there has been an increase in polio activity, particularly in Karachi.
While overall poliovirus transmission in the country has been declining, with cases falling from 74 in 2024 to 31 in 2025 and three so far in 2026, reflecting the impact of high-quality vaccination drives, virus circulation in southern K-P persists.
Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis and, in some instances, death. However, the disease can be prevented through polio vaccines, which are safe and effective and have been used safely in 195 countries, including all Muslim countries.
