ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states to strengthen collaboration to build a self-reliant vaccine manufacturing ecosystem, the Pakistani information ministry said, citing the country’s state minister for health.
Pakistan, like many OIC countries, imports vaccines used in major immunization campaigns at an annual cost of about $400 million, according to Health Minister Mustafa Kamal. This is despite its heavy reliance on international partners that bear 49 percent of total costs.
Officials say global vaccine manufacturing remains highly concentrated, with more than 70 percent of vaccines produced in fewer than ten countries, which leaves many low- and middle-income countries dependent on external suppliers.
Pakistani State Minister for Health Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Malik on Tuesday addressed a meeting of the OIC vaccine manufacturers group in Islamabad, wherein he stressed that vaccines are essential public goods and central to health security, equity and sustainable development.
“He highlighted persistent vulnerabilities in antigen production, technology access, regulatory maturity, and supply chain resilience, particularly within the OIC region,” the Pakistani information ministry said, after the meeting at the OIC’s Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) Secretariat in Islamabad.
“Malik called for an implementation-focused roadmap with clear timelines and shared responsibility, urging OIC Member States to strengthen collaboration to build a resilient, self-reliant, and future-ready vaccine manufacturing ecosystem.”
The development comes days after Federal Health Minister Kamal told Arab News that Pakistan is “very close” to reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia that would enable Islamabad to manufacture vaccines locally, saying production could begin within the next three years.
Kamal warned that external support for Pakistan, which currently provides vaccines for 13 diseases free of cost, was expected to end after 2030.
Malik acknowledged existing vaccine manufacturing capacity in countries such as Indonesia, Türkiye, Iran and Egypt, but stressed that capacity across the OIC remains fragmented and requires coordinated action.
He underscored the importance of assessing manufacturing capacity, regulatory readiness and demand across OIC member states to enabling evidence-based collaboration, technology transfer and targeted investment.
“[In Pakistan,] vaccine manufacturing has been declared a strategic national priority, supported by a National Vaccine Policy, regulatory strengthening, fiscal incentives, Special Economic Zones and long-term public procurement commitments,” the minister was quoted as saying.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s focus on public-private partnerships, government-to-government (G2G) and business-to-business (B2B) cooperation and proposed initiatives such as a National Vaccine Fund and National Vaccine Alliance to mobilize investment and de-risk projects.
“The Asian Development Bank has conditionally expressed readiness to provide [Pakistan] up to USD 250 million in soft financing for viable vaccine manufacturing projects,” Malik told participants.
