ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - 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.”