Islamabad, Oct 7 (TIWN) Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan held a telephonic conversation with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and discussed polio eradication efforts and the foundation's support towards improving nutrition in Pakistan, the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday.

“The prime minister highlighted that more than half of the population in Afghanistan was living below the poverty line and in dire need of financial assistance. He requested Mr. Gates to consider providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people,” according to the statement. The two expressed concern regarding the health system in Afghanistan, the only other country in the world that is polio endemic along with Pakistan, it said.  They discussed the importance of polio campaigns resuming in Afghanistan to stop the disease and protect Pakistan's recent gains towards ending polio. Prime Minister Khan also updated Gates on Pakistan's continued progress against polio eradication and appreciated the invaluable assistance provided by BMGF towards that.