Lack of access to cost-effective Indian vaccines straining economy: Pakistan

The supply of cost-effective vaccines from India that stopped after the May 2025 conflict has put a strain on Pakistan’s economy, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Saturday. Pakistan earlier procured the cheap vaccines through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), a global public-private health partnership working to provide vaccines for children from the world’s poorest countries.

“Right now, Pakistan imports vaccines at an annual cost of around $400 million, out of which 49 per cent of the cost is covered by international organisations that operate through GAVI,” Kamal said. “Pakistan contributes 51 per cent of the cost now, and unless we start local production of vaccines, we will face an annual import bill of $1.2 billion by 2031,” he added. The minister also said that the international support for the provision of vaccines will end by 2031.

Pakistan has traditionally procured cheap vaccines for immunisation and other requirements through GAVI, which used to come from India, he said. Acknowledging GAVI’s role, he said that the organisation has been helping Pakistan secure vaccines mostly from India by acting as a purchasing intermediary and funding partner.

GAVI allowed Pakistan access to cost-effective and high-quality vaccines manufactured by Indian pharmaceutical companies and institutes despite the tense relations between the two countries, Kamal said, adding that during the COVID-19 pandemic, GAVI had helped procure millions of COVID-19 vaccines from India under the COVAX facility.

The Government currently provides 13 types of vaccines free of charge to citizens, yet none are produced locally. Pakistan is the world’s fifth most populous country, with a population of nearly 240 million people, and records 6.2 million births every year, leading to a significant increase in demand for vaccines.

He said that because of international assistance, it has kept the annual import cost within manageable limits, but this could change unless local production of vaccines starts. The Government has already begun preparatory work rather than waiting for donor support to lapse, the minister said, 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 terror 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 and ended with an understanding to stop the military actions on May 10. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal.