Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (B&MGF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Pakistan to funding Ehsas initiative on poverty alleviation by providing amount of 200 million dollars in 2020 to Pakistan.
A MoU was signed by both parties in a meeting held in New York. Special Assistant to PM on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and President (B&MGF), Dr Chris Elias signed the MoU. Prime Minister Imran Khan and co-chair (B&MGF) Bill Gates were also present in the ceremony.
According to the agreement, the amount will be spent on 134 poverty alleviation projects in Pakistan.
The new partnership takes forward B&MGF’s more than a decade long work in Pakistan, which has revolved around a range of development projects such as polio eradication, financial inclusion, routine immunisation and maternal, neo-natal and child health.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said Ehsaas was the main anti poverty project in Pakistan and has been planned with great devotion. I’m pleased that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will assist with a range of activities in this respect.
He further said poverty alleviation has been the top priority of his government from day one. He has set out an ambitious plan to alleviate poverty and improve health and education for the most vulnerable people.
Ehsaas is a new multi-sectoral initiative established by the federal government. The initiative aims to radically improve Pakistan’s progress toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Global Goals (Global Goals) for its more than 210 million people.