Lack Of Access To Cost-Effective Indian Vaccines Straining Pakistan’s Economy : Pak Minister

Karachi : Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Saturday that affordable vaccine supplies from India are putting pressure on Pakistan’s economy following the conflict in May 2025. Pakistan had previously procured the cheap vaccines through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), a global public-private health partnership that works to provide vaccines to children in the world’s poorest countries.

“Currently, Pakistan imports vaccines at a cost of approximately $400 million annually, and 49 percent of this is covered by international organizations operating through GAVI,” Kamal said. he said.

“Pakistan currently bears 51 percent of the cost and unless we start local vaccine production we will face an annual import bill of $1.2 billion by 2031,” he added.

The minister also said that international support for vaccine supply will end by 2031.

He said Pakistan has traditionally procured cheap vaccines for immunization and other needs through GAVI from India.

Acknowledging GAVI’s role, GAVI said the organization was helping Pakistan procure vaccines mostly from India by acting as a purchasing agent and financing partner.

Stating that GAVI allowed Pakistan to access affordable and high-quality vaccines produced by Indian pharmaceutical companies and institutes, despite the tense relations between the two countries, Kamal said that GAVI helped procure millions of Covid-19 vaccines from India within the scope of the COVAX facility.

The government currently offers 13 types of vaccines to citizens free of charge, but none of them are produced domestically.

Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world, with a population of approximately 240 million, and records 6.2 million births every year, leading to a significant increase in demand for vaccines.

He said international aid has kept the annual import cost within manageable limits, but this could change unless local vaccine production begins.

The minister stated that the government has started preparatory work instead of waiting for the donor support to end, adding that Pakistan aims to achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production in the near future.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, targeting the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes between the two countries, ending with an agreement to halt military operations on 10 May.