ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s cabinet has approved the country’s first-ever National Vaccine Policy, state-run media reported on Wednesday, saying that the move would help boost local vaccine production and reduce reliance on imports.
Pakistan currently imports almost all of its finished vaccines, according to procurement data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. Public health experts say heavy dependence on imported vaccines leaves Pakistan vulnerable to global supply disruptions and contributes to an annual vaccine import bill exceeding $250 million.
Pakistan, a country of over 240 million people, regularly holds national immunization campaigns against diseases such as polio, measles, rubella and hepatitis.
“Federal Minister for National Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal, on Wednesday announced that the federal cabinet has approved Pakistan’s first-ever National Vaccine Policy, paved way for its local production,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in a report.
“While talking on the occasion, he termed the approval a major milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s health care system.”
The report quoted Kamal as saying that Pakistan had long lacked a comprehensive national vaccine policy, adding that local production was essential for achieving self-reliance in the health sector.
The government says the new vaccine policy aims to build national resilience by expanding biotech and pharmaceutical capabilities, reducing import burden, and improving preparedness for future pandemics.
In February this year, Pakistani health authorities held discussions with a visiting Saudi delegation to explore partnership in the production of vaccines in Pakistan. Kamal had said Islamabad was “very close” to reaching an agreement with Riyadh that would enable it to produce vaccines locally.
Officials say local production of vaccines could enable Pakistan to become a regional supplier once its facilities meet WHO prequalification standards.
