Minister of Health Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel and Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting held in Riyadh. This agreement is among several agreements signed by the foundation with the Kingdom.Al-Jalajel indicated that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) focuses on cooperation between the ministry and the organization in several areas to enhance disease surveillance and diagnostic tools, provide safe health solutions, and offer technical assistance to strengthen vaccine-manufacturing capabilities in the Kingdom. This, he said, aims to assist low- and middle-income countries in accessing vaccines at lower costs and addressing polio, contributing to global preparedness and response to pandemics and other global health issues.Moreover, the minister revealed the MoU aligns with the Kingdom's renewed and significant interest in enhancing public health and developing healthcare services. It also marks the first step towards achieving the shared goal between the Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is to ensure equitable access to healthcare services for all, especially those living in underserved areas. This step is part of global efforts to unify actions and work on various global health issues and challenges. He also said that it also reflects the commitment of the Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) and improve people's lives worldwide.The minister pointed out that Saudi Vision 2030 established the equation of global leadership for the health sector in the Kingdom, by moving from focusing on pain to investing in hope, paying attention to prevention, and focusing on the beneficiary and not just on the bed, as this memorandum of understanding specifies a comprehensive framework for cooperation in several key areas including polio eradication, support for vaccine development and manufacturing, pandemic preparedness and response, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), clinical trials, and digital health.At the end of his statement, the Minister of Health stressed the necessity of joint work and partnerships to ensure the achievement of global health goals, expressing his confidence that these joint efforts will bring about a significant positive change in people’s health and safety. Bill Gates, in turn, expressed pride in partnering with Saudi Arabia in these important humanitarian efforts, noting that this type of collaboration reflects a commitment to working diligently towards positively impacting people's lives. "I am proud to see Saudi Arabia, alongside partners across the Middle East, stepping up to deliver more vaccines against polio, measles, and other vital health services to millions of children yearly. This global health investment will contribute to strengthening and building more resilient health systems and communities at a time when the world is facing multiple crises," Bill Gates said. He added that it is encouraging to see new support for long-term partnerships like the Live & Livelihoods Fund (LLF), which has played a prominent role in lifting millions of people out of poverty.