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*ISLAMABAD: Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has expressed gratitude to President Dr. Arif Alvi for “warmly” welcoming him on his first visit to Pakistan and honouring him with ‘Hilal-e-Pakistan’ award.*
In a letter to the president, Gates commended the government’s “high-level commitment to protecting the health and well-being of every child in Pakistan, including the work to secure a polio-free for generations of children to come.”
He noted that Pakistan has made remarkable progress in the fight against wild poliovirus with no cases for over a year – although circulation of the disease has persisted in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Your continued engagement on polio will go a long way to accelerating your country’s continued progress,” the Microsoft co-founder said.