The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged a generous donation of US$1 million to support the World Health Organization (WHO) in its efforts to bolster Pakistan's response to the ongoing monsoon floods.

“We are particularly thankful to the Gates Foundation for this generous and timely support to WHO teams in the field, assisting federal and provincial authorities to meet health needs, deliver medical supplies, and save lives,” said WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Dapeng Luo during a visit to health facilities in flood-affected areas in Swabi District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The funding will help meet the health needs of over 465,000 people most affected by the floods across 33 high-risk districts in K-P, Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan. The initiative aims to ensure the continuity of life-saving health services by enhancing disease surveillance, outbreak response, and the availability of essential medical supplies in flood-hit areas.

"With the climate crisis fuelling increasingly severe monsoo