Minister orders NIH to boost vaccine production

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Health Service Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday visited the National Institute of Health here and ordered significant enhancement in local vaccine production.

He also called for a comprehensive national strategy on water and sanitation. The minister visited various NIH facilities, including the vaccine production unit, public health laboratories, the Polio Regional Reference Laboratory and the Water and food Testing Laboratory.

He also inspected the National Health Data Centre. The visit concluded with a detailed briefing by NIH Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Salman. Speaking to scientists and staff members, Kamal emphasised the potential of NIH in advancing public health and urged full utilisation of its capacities. He stressed the need for Pakistan to achieve self-reliance in vaccine development and production. "The NIH must lead efforts in strengthening indigenous vaccine capabilities to protect our population and reduce dependency on imports," he said.