By Shahina Maqbool
The earth-breaking of Pakistan’s first world-class sera processing laboratory, which will be completed by 2011 at a cost of Rs498.50 million, was performed at the National Institute of Health (NIH) here on Friday, with Minister for Health Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani as the chief guest.
The laboratory will produce anti-snake, anti-rabies, anti-tetanus and anti-diphtheria sera. Once production gets underway, the laboratory will meet the entire demand of anti-snake venom sera in the country, producing 100,000 vials against 30,000 under the present production facility. The existing sera processing laboratory was established 44 years back in 1965 with a production capacity of 15,000 vials of anti-snake venom and 1,000-2,000 vials of anti-rabies serum.
The cost of production of the anti-snake venom sera produced in the new laboratory would be the lowest in the world. To keep it within the reach of the common man, a price of Rs550 per vial has been proposed, which comes to around US $6.88. The same vial would cost $1,250 in the US and $1,000 dollars in Australia.
Besides saving precious lives, given that 1,200 people in Pakistan die of snake bites every year, the establishment of the sera laboratory is expected to substantially reduce foreign exchange spending on import of anti-snake sera, which is not very effective as Pakistan has different types of poisonous snakes as compared to other countries, therefore making it necessary to have its own anti-snake venom sera.
Speaking on the occasion, Jakhrani said the “historic occasion” symbolises the government’s commitment to invest in technology that benefits the people. “In today’s world, nations lagging behind in the scientific field are unable to safeguard their sovereign interests and play an effective role on the international scene. No nation can progress without investing in science and technology. Enhancing our scientific capabilities and improving our technological base in the area of healthcare remains the cornerstone of our vision in the health sector,” he said.
Jakhrani said the progress of NIH has, over the last few years, been challenged by strict international standards for vaccine production, which a third world country like Pakistan with limited resources found difficult to meet. “I have directed that resource constraints should never stand in the way of progress and development and we would do our utmost to meet the financial requirements of NIH,” he stated.
The minister said NIH is rendering a great service to the nation by producing lifesaving vaccines and sera and helping the nation in controlling lethal communicable diseases through timely lab diagnosis and disease surveillance. He lauded the efforts of NIH scientists for conceiving a project that will provide life-saving sera at an affordable price and enhance Pakistan’s capacity to produce anti-snake venom sera to cater to the existing demand.
Jakhrani informed after a gap of almost four years, measles vaccine production has re-started at NIH and 40,000 doses of measles vaccine have been produced by the institute.
Jahkrani announced that all public health laboratories currently rendering services at the NIH as separate entities shall be integrated and brought under one National Reference Public Health Laboratories System to be steered by the Public Health Laboratories Division of NIH. “This will make the delivery of diagnostic services in the country cost-intensive and technically efficient; the measure would also be in line with international standards and requirements,” he added.
Talking exclusively to ‘The News,’ Ian Simpson, snakebite adviser to the Pakistan Medical Research Council, complimented Pakistan for following “a very pragmatic approach by adopting the most efficient production methods the rest of the world still struggles to increase anti-sake venom production. “This should serve as a model for all anti-venom producers who want to produce cost-effective and sustainable anti-venom in the future. Recent initiatives of WHO and others have stopped short of recommending the most efficient methods of producing ASV, and Pakistan and NIH have shown how you can double your production in the short term and ultimately go on to achieve national demand. This approach could go a long way in solving the anti-snake venom crisis in places like Africa and Asia,” said Ian, who is also assisting NIH with the anti-venom process.
Earlier, NIH Executive Director Dr. Birjees Mazhar Kazi said snake bite is a serious medical issue in Pakistan, which reports approximately 13,000 cases every year. He said the new laboratory would be current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant and meet WHO standards.
“Making technological advancements to match the current demand of the country and international standards had become imperative,” Dr. Kazi said, hoping that project would become a catalyst for launch of similar initiatives in the institute.
The ceremony was attended, among others, by Secretary Health Khushnood Akhtar Lashari, DG Health Rashid Jooma, eminent scientists and a wide cross-section of health experts from the public and development sectors.