'Pakistan will soon be able to eradicate polio'

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation commits to spend on health, education sectors

KARACHI: Rotary International President Ian HS Riseley has said that he is confident Pakistan will soon be able to eradicate polio.

"We are determined to eliminate polio from Pakistan and for that I am confident that our Pakistan chapter will continue to take effective steps in the coming months," said Riseley, an Australian who is visiting Pakistan for the first time.



He said that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the world, has committed to provide twice the amount Rotary International spends on health and education sectors.

Without providing an exact figure of money that Rotary is spending in Pakistan, he said, for instance if we spend US$50 million annually on such projects, the Gates Foundation will provide us US$100 million so that we can increase our capacity and reach.

"It does not make sense for Rotary to not increase its spending on such projects," said Riseley while talking to The Express Tribune at a press conference held on Tuesday in Movenpick Hotel.



Rotary International District Governor (Sindh and Balochistan) Ovais Ahmed Kohari said that the organisation is collaborating with 400 schools all over Pakistan.

"We have adopted the policy to help government schools instead of setting up our own schools in the country," he said.