ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched an initiative to locally manufacture vaccines, the government said on Thursday, as part of efforts to strengthen public-health security, lower import costs and attract investment in the country’s biotech sector.
Pakistan currently imports nearly all finished vaccines, according to WHO and UNICEF procurement data, with the National Institute of Health in Islamabad handling only small-scale “fill-and-finish” operations through foreign partnerships such as CanSinoBIO’s COVID-19 packaging in 2021.
Public-health experts say the lack of domestic capacity leaves the country exposed to global supply shocks and drives an annual vaccine import bill exceeding US $250 million.
On Thursday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan chaired a high-level meeting to review the draft National Vaccine Policy, identify production bottlenecks and finalize a roadmap for local manufacturing. A committee has been formed on the prime minister’s instructions to speed up the process, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“The government is developing a comprehensive policy to promote local manufacturing of vaccines, which will not only reduce the import bill but also strengthen the national economy,” Khan said.
He added that vaccine production would “ensure health security and economic self-reliance for Pakistan.”
The new initiative, Khan said, aims to build national resilience by developing biotech and pharmaceutical capabilities, reducing the import burden, and ensuring rapid response to future pandemics. The government is also engaging with international organizations to secure technology transfer and investment, while enhancing capacity at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
Officials said the proposed Pakistan Vaccine Manufacturers Alliance would align public- and private-sector efforts and improve coordination with regulators. Local production, they added, could eventually help Pakistan become a regional supplier in South Asia once facilities meet WHO pre-qualification standards.
