ISLAMABAD, Jan 8 (APP):Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that government continued to tackle Polio eradication as a national public health emergency.
The prime minister was talking to Director General World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreye, who along with President of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Development Division Dr Christopher Elias called on him.
The prime minister said the polio vaccination activities were well organized in close collaboration with provinces and were directly overseen by the National, Provincial and Divisional Task Forces. The prime minister expressed commitment of his government for complete eradication of polio from the country.
He expressed the hope that WHO would continue as a reliable partner in government efforts to improve health for all in Pakistan.
Dr Tedros Adhanom congratulated the prime minister on his victory in the general
elections.
He said that WHO had increased its focus on public health, country level impacts and bringing improvements in people’s access to health related knowledge and information.
He also informed the prime minister about WHO’s ongoing programmes/projects in Pakistan. WHO has considerably increased level of support in Pakistan, mainly due to intensified activities of the polio eradication initiatives.
The prime minister said that Pakistan attached importance to WHO and appreciated the role of WHO in the health care system. The Government is determined to implement a transformative social and economic agenda for a ‘New Pakistan’, the prime minister said and reiterated his commitment to move forward sustainable development agenda.
Dr Christopher Elias, President of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Development Division, delivered a letter from Bill Gates to the prime minister.
