Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review progress on key health sector initiatives, including follow-up actions from recent engagements at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. The meeting was attended by the Federal Secretary for Health, the Additional Secretary, and chief executives of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), along with senior officials from relevant departments.
Focus on Vaccine Production Capacity
Officials briefed the minister on ongoing work related to international health commitments and partnerships, with particular focus on strengthening Pakistan’s vaccine production capacity. The meeting reviewed developments in local vaccine manufacturing, including progress on a proposed cooperation framework with Indonesia for vaccine production. Officials described Indonesia as an important partner in the sector, while stressing the need to expedite technical and regulatory processes for domestic production.
Minister’s Directives
Minister Kamal directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan and the National Institute of Health to accelerate all required steps to facilitate local vaccine manufacturing. He emphasised that strengthening domestic production capacity for vaccines covering 13 major diseases was a key public health priority.
Funding and Immunisation Programmes
Participants also discussed funding arrangements for immunisation programmes supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and reviewed progress under the National Health Support Programme. The minister described the programme as a flagship initiative of the government aimed at improving healthcare delivery and expanding access to essential services across the country.
Officials said efforts would continue to align domestic health reforms with international partnerships and funding mechanisms to ensure long-term sustainability of Pakistan’s immunisation and public health systems.
