KARACHI: Need to improve production of vaccine stressed
KARACHI, Aug 10: Federal health secretary Ejaz Rahim has underscored the need to institutionlize vaccine development in the country.
Addressing the concluding session of the seminar on “Vaccine Development and Self-sufficiency— implication for Pakistan” at the Aga Khan University here on Sunday, he maintained that the importance of vaccine must not be gauged in terms of human survival but in the larger context of human development, particularly in a society like Pakistan with strong traditional and tribal values.
Reiterating the government’s commitment towards the issue of collective health and self-reliance in drugs and vaccine, he suggested that the National Vaccine Development Task Force come forward with the projection of the country’s requirement in terms of vaccine for the next 20 to 25 years, based on which a strategy could be evolved.
He also hinted at the conversion of the central drugs research fund available with the ministry of health into the central drug and vaccine research fund. He also asked the National Vaccine Development Task Force to act as an advisory panel to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) enabling it to have a strong vaccine development plan in accordance with the national requirement and global development in the field.
The secretary agreed that researchers, medical scientists and representatives of private industries could be included in the boards of governors of NIH.
He also reminded that the central drug research fund lying dormant for the last five years was only recently reactivated, and this was along with the establishment of the National Quality Control Laboratory.
He further suggested that the task force for vaccine development must also come forward with a short-term strategy aimed to ensure a fast action plan.
According to him this could be possible through an inter-ministerial approach and close coordination between ministries of health, finance, science and technology and higher education.
He also referred to the recent deliberation with WHO representative to Pakistan, Dr Bille, who assured to provide Pakistan the necessary support in the field.
The secretary, expressing his gratitude to the donor agencies including USAID and GAVI, for providing necessary vaccine for the year, particularly referred to the opportunity available for Pakistan to procure technical and financial support from GAVI for the vaccine development and growth programme.
Chairman National Vaccine Development Task Force and professor of paediatrics, Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, highlighting the gap between the national vaccine requirement and the local production, suggested a close coordination between higher education institutions with biotechnology for research and development potential.
“Biotechnology and related disciplines (cell and molecular biology, microbiology, immunology), constitute less than 5 per cent of the student body entering the higher education”, he said.
Presenting the recommendations of the Task Force, he said the strategy should largely focus on the production of the country’s essential EPI vaccine needs besides vaccine security for OPV oral polio vaccine, tetanus toxide, DPT and measles.
According to him, the product portfolio must include hepatitis- B, DPT etc once the country achieves self-sufficiency for national requirement in the above vaccines.
He strongly supported the fostering and development of public-private partnership and collaborative ventures by the NIH. Recognising the role of NIH vaccine laboratories it was also suggested that the institution be strengthened and given the requisite resources and manpower to meet the challenges for producing vaccine for public health need.
He further suggested the creation of a target research project involving NIH and national institutions to gear PCSIR and the universities towards achieving specific vaccine production and technology target.
Dr Abdul Ghaffar Billoo, on the occasion, made a presentation on the vaccine-preventable disorders and child health in Pakistan. He underscored the need for political and economic will with regard to the issue.
Major-general M.I. Burney, talking of vaccine development in Pakistan, suggested maximum autonomy for the NIH.
Dr Anita Zaidi offered the vote of thanks and provost Aga Khan University (AKU), Dr David Taylor, expressed his views on the three-day event.—APP
