Pakistan

Bill Gates announces fresh polio funding

$100 million pledged to deliver vaccines to children in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Express January 27, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

American billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation Bill Gates announced fresh support for Pakistan’s polio eradication programme on Wednesday.

In a meeting with a Pakistani delegation in Abu Dhabi, he pledged support worth $17 million on behalf of his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Pakistani delegation was led by special assistant to the prime minister on social sector Shahnaz Wazir Ali. Gates was facilitated by Michael Galway, the senior programme officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Ali handed over a letter from President Asif Ali Zardari to Gates in context of their recent meeting in the US and briefed him on the newly-launched emergency action plan for polio eradication in Pakistan.

Gates expressed full support for the Pakistani government towards its efforts for polio eradication in particular and enhancing routine immunisation in general.

The Gates’ foundation is one of the most generous supporters to the global polio eradication programme. In Pakistan, the foundation has contributed $100 million to the national polio effort. The foundation also recently provided a grant of $1.3 million as flood relief assistance.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2011.

COMMENTS (20)

HADI | 13 years ago | Reply Just to clarify to everyone, BILL GATES IS NOT CHRISTIAN, HE IS A JEW While muslims all over the world are busy enjoying the wealth from oil, or by sucking the wealth of the poor people (Pakistan) Jews have been busy educating them selves and forming one of the most powerful community in the world. Though Bill Gates gesture is well appreciated and i hope god does reward him for doing this good deed, but its sad to see what muslims have been reduced to

A R Khan Yusufzai | 13 years ago | Reply @sandy: You have insulted the whole nation by abbreviating "Pakistani's !"' The comments should have been never approved in the first place !

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Imdad | 13 years ago | Reply Mr. Bill Gates has done a world of good for the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan. I hope that all the funding is used for deserving people. I would rather recommend Mr. Gates to come himself and spend the funding under his supervision otherwise the money given will be take by government regime and will not reach to needy and deserving people.

A R Khan Yusufzai | 13 years ago | Reply We should be thankful to Mr. Gate for being so kind & generous even when we are using most of his software's Pirated.

Zubair | 13 years ago | Reply Thank you both for providing vaccination to poor children.It is a definitely a noble cause and may God bless you.Ameen

Imtiaz | 13 years ago | Reply Extremely gracious of His Highness and Mr. Gates, may God bless you and enable you to do more for humanity and mankind. At the same time it is time for us to bow our heads in shame that our own affluent people, who call themselves devout Muslims, keep their own money abroad and are unable to further such causes. Islamic fundamentals demand that every Muslim should take care of their own and more, and the reality is far from it, this is probably why there is no barkaat on this land.

AZMAT+KHAN | 13 years ago | Reply god bless you gates and alnahyan.

Saghier Ahmed Jafri | 13 years ago | Reply I appreciate all the good actions by Prominent people like Bill Gates and H.H Shaikh Muhammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to save the children's lives in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Their such acts to help the suffering humanity will always be remembered and will be well appreciated by all. As an Urdu poet and writer,I would like to take interviews of H.H.Shaikh Muhammed Bin Zayed and Mr. Bill Gates for publication in many Urdu , Arabic , English newspapers, magazines and websites re , their contributions towards this noble cause. I am confident that H.H.Shaikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Mr. Bill Gates will please give me permission to have their interviews. Best wishes , Engineer,Poet,Writer,free lance Journalist Saghier Ahmed Jafri Urdu Manzil http://www.urdumanzil.com http://www.urdumanzil.com/adabnama/gulrang/index.html http://www.urdumanzil.com/adab_nama/index.html http://www.urdumanzil.com/directory/index.html saghierjafri@urdumanzil.com

AT | 13 years ago | Reply Respect

Hassan | 13 years ago | Reply Goverment officials are licking there lips at that amount of money, Forget the vaccines the poor people of Pakistan will never receive them. Good intentions by gates and co,

MP | 13 years ago | Reply Sigh. If only our own AKD and Mian Mansha would follow in the same footsteps.

Gassan | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistani officials are licking there lips at the amount of money involved, Lets hope they don't send the money instead supply the vaccines. Money will only make it's way into the pockets of theives. Good intentons by gates and co, May Allah reward there good work.

Raqib Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Well done... one Muslim and one Christian forge alliance for HUMANITY.... the story has touched my heart!

The Only Normal Person Here. | 13 years ago | Reply Appreciated.

Saddam hussain | 13 years ago | Reply Thank's for this positive thinking Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bill Gates that you have to compromise and saving the child's life.I expect that this huge amount will be spent for the donation of Afganistan and Pakistan.

parvez | 13 years ago | Reply Noble gesture by good men wanting to do good. Sadly, if this effort is channelised through the government, what most probably will happen is that a few people in Pakistan and Afghanistan will get rich and both countries will still be saddled with the problem in the years to come.

Farid | 13 years ago | Reply thanks thanks thanks thanks my dear loving Bill Gates and Uae king, God bless you. and give you more courage and resources to help children .thanks thanks thanks

sandy | 13 years ago | Reply I think Bill Gates is a Christian, an American, an Westerner, a Kafir.... so why take money from him??? Where is the Pakistani pride that its leaders, mullah's, media persons, and people shout about? Where is the hate against kafirs???? Isnt this double standard??? Why not deny this money now??? Answer the land of pure and believers??? ... Because it brings dollars and historically Pakis have always accepted alms from one hand and hate the same people from other. Very ungrateful. Pakis should stop for a moment and think the level of double standard in their society.

Aftab Kenneth Wilson | 13 years ago | Reply Thank You and May God Bless HH Shaikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bill Gates for contribution towards this noble cause. I sincerely hope that this huge amount will be spent for the noble cause it has been donated both for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Tanweer Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Thanks Mr. Gates and Mr. Prince, I hope they will not die out of deadly diseases after having vaccinated. what about those dying for starvation, malnutrition and shelter-less cold weather. Is President Zardari also planning to launch any action plan to eradicate these diseases?

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