MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal at a press conference in Karachi on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Screen recording
ISLAMABAD:
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal warned that Pakistan could face an annual vaccine bill of up to $1.2 billion by 2031 if domestic manufacturing is not established, calling the current reliance on imported vaccines an imminent economic burden.
In a press conference, Kamal said the government is currently providing 13 types of vaccines free of charge to citizens, but none are produced locally. Pakistan, with a population of approximately 240 million, is the fifth most populous country in the world and records around 6.2 million births every year, significantly increasing the demand for vaccines.
Currently, he said, Pakistan imports all vaccines with the support of international organizations, at an annual cost of around $400 million. Of this amount, 49% is covered by international partners, while the government supports the remaining 51%, keeping the immediate financial pressure relatively manageable.
However, Kamal warned that international assistance is scheduled to end after 2031. “If Pakistan fails to develop its own vaccine production capacity by then, annual costs are expected to rise sharply to $1.2 billion, putting great pressure on the national economy,” he warned.
“We procure vaccines through GAVI, which used to come from India,” Kamal said, referring to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. During and after the May 2025 conflict with India, he added, this arrival stopped.
He said the government has already started preparatory work rather than waiting for donor support to expire. He said Pakistan aims to achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production in the near future.
Drawing comparisons with regional and international examples, he noted that Saudi Arabia has been working on vaccine development for the past decade, while Indonesia already produces two million doses a year.
