Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, and founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. PHOTO: AFP
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said that polio “could spread back to other countries” if it's last reservoirs in Pakistan and Afghanistan were not eradicated.
“Pakistan is starting to take this seriously including the army and the government. They need to do the same things that were done in Nigeria,” he said during an 'Ask me Anything' (AMA) session on social networking site Reddit.
Gates, who founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife, has funded polio eradicating campaigns in multiple countries, including in Pakistan.
“Polio eradication is a big focus for me,” Gates said. “Our last case in Africa was six months ago and we are hoping no more show up. It takes over a year to be sure.”
Gates also touched upon the challenge that Pakistan faced in its fight against polio. “The Taliban makes it very difficult. They have killed women going to vaccinate kids many times.”
During the hours-long conversation, Gates touched upon various other topics including his biggest regret. “I feel pretty stupid that I don't know any foreign languages. I took Latin and Greek in High School and got A's and I guess it helps my vocabulary but I wish I knew French or Arabic or Chinese.”
When a Reddit user asked him what he thought about life-extending and immortality research, the world's wealthiest man said it seemed “pretty egocentric” of rich people to fund research so that they could live longer “while we still have malaria and TB”.
COMMENTS (9)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1713425884-0/Tribune-Collage-Feature-Images-(10)1713425884-0-270x192.webp)
@THE: . "@woody: Can you please remind me the last time an American govt said a simple “thank you” to Pakistan for fighting terrorism ? " . Bill Gates is not part of the American govt .. so your comment makes no sense. But if that's your criteria for thanking Bill Gates then your long overdue as the USA regularly publicly thanks Pakistan for it's fight against terrorism - suggest you watch a US State Dept briefing or read an international newspaper - both are readily available on-line.
Lahorewala. I feel sorry for you. You are full of hate and have no love for people who are trying to eradicate poverty and disease in the world.. You sound like a typical Imran Taliban loving person..
@woody: Can you please remind me the last time an American govt said a simple "thank you" to Pakistan for fighting terrorism ?
Nor is Gates a sweeter than honey Chinese.
Look at it this way, Gates would be more useful if supplied arms or hard cash. Besides. If his NGO is successful in eradicating the disease then he and not the politicians will not get the credit.
@Woody... Thats because Gates is not a muslim or an Arab..
@woody: Pakistanis have died by the tens of thousands because of the US war on terror. Has any American expressed gratitude about it? On the contrary they curse Pakistan.
The NGO's and the Govt. makes good money and salaries.on this Polio Scourge. As long as the Desis run these NGO's and the Govt. is involved,..POLIO WILL NOT BE ERADICATED. These people do not want to loose their well paying jobs. If polio is eradicated they will be unemployed. They will keep polio alive. Bet on it.
ET these are stark truths. Find in yourself to print this. Not censure.
He is way too optimistic and, like most foreigners, unaware of the ground realities. The extremists are now targetting policemen sent to protect polio teams. They brazenly shoot them dead in broad daylight in Karachi city. Not some backwater place in KP but the largest city in the country. No one will take up this job under these dangerous conditions. The government is powerless. We will soon have an epidemic on our hands and international countries will blacklist us.
He's been one of the strongest supporters of Pakistan's fight against polio - it's unfortunate that you rarely read a simple "thank you" on Pakistani forums. What's up with that?