RIYADH — Saudi Arabia, through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has announced a significant new partnership to combat polio and alleviate poverty worldwide. This announcement was made during a signing ceremony in Riyadh, coinciding with the World Economic Forum's special meeting. The joint initiative aims to immunize 370 million children annually against polio and significantly reduce poverty across 33 member countries of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). This effort aligns with the objectives of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), which is the largest multilateral development initiative in the Middle East dedicated to improving healthcare, supporting small-scale farming, and enhancing infrastructure to uplift millions from poverty. The event was marked by the presence of prominent figures including Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, and Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation. Both leaders expressed their commitment to leveraging this partnership to achieve sustainable development and health security in some of the world's most vulnerable regions.
