Pakistan close to Indonesian vaccine plant deal
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has said Pakistan is close to signing an agreement with Indonesian state-owned Bio-Farma to set up a vaccine plant and begin local vaccine production of three shots. He spoke during a visit last week to the 24th Pharma Asia 2026 exhibition at the Karachi Expo Centre.
Kamal said an Indonesian team recently visited Pakistan and completed inspections needed for that work. Indonesia’s health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, has helped deepen cooperation on making immunisation medicines inside the country, according to Kamal.
“Pakistan is about to sign an agreement with Bio-Farma, Indonesia, to start local production of [the first] three vaccines in the country,” the minister said. He added that Pakistan would “soon become capable of producing the immunisation medicines in the country, and start the production soon.”
Three of 13 imported vaccines, plus a new policy
Pakistan currently imports 13 vaccines from Bio-Farma. Of those, three would be made at home through technology transfer from Indonesian pharmaceutical firms, Kamal said. He did not name which three products would come first.
The government has also prepared Pakistan’s first vaccine policy in the recent past. Kamal said the federal Cabinet has almost approved that policy.
Investment in raw materials and healthcare plants
Separately, Kamal said Pakistan has signed agreements with global pharmaceutical companies worth $400 million for local production of APIs—active pharmaceutical ingredients, the raw chemicals used to make finished medicines. Those plants would begin coming online over about one and a half to two years, one after another, he said.
He also pointed to eight agreements with international firms for a total of $659 million in healthcare-related investment, sealed at a business-to-business conference in Islamabad about two months earlier. Some 180 Chinese companies and 320 Pakistani companies took part. Of that $659 million, the $400 million share covers API facilities; Kamal stressed these were signed agreements, not memorandums of understanding.
Pakistan has a population of more than 250 million and more than 700 pharmaceutical companies, yet still depends heavily on imported APIs for local drug manufacturing.
Why self-reliance matters before 2031
Pakistan supplies free childhood vaccinations against 13 diseases under its routine national programme, covering a population of nearly 250 million and about 6.2 million children born each year. Vaccines now arrive at concessional rates through partners including Gavi, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The country currently pays about 51% of vaccine procurement costs—estimated at $400 million to $500 million a year—while partners cover about 49%. That support is set to decline, and by 2030–31 Pakistan is expected to finance procurement fully. Kamal has said that by 2031 the estimated annual cost would rise to $1.2 billion from the country’s own resources, as subsidised supply from international partners winds down.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- About two months ago: Eight healthcare investment agreements worth $659 million were signed at a B2B conference in Islamabad, including $400 million for local API plants.
- Recently: An Indonesian inspection team visited Pakistan in connection with local vaccine production.
- Last week: At Pharma Asia 2026 in Karachi, Mustafa Kamal said a Bio-Farma agreement for a plant and three locally made vaccines was near, and that a first national vaccine policy was almost cleared by the Cabinet.
- By 2030–31: Pakistan is due to fund vaccine procurement fully as partner support fades.
- By 2031: Annual vaccine purchase costs are estimated at $1.2 billion from domestic resources, according to Kamal.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan Indonesian company Bio-Farma ke saath vaccine factory ka deal almost final kar raha hai. Teen vaccines jo ab bahir se aati hain, unhein mulk mein banane ka irada hai—names abhi announce nahi hue. Dawaoon ke khaam maal (API) ke liye $400 million ke investment agreements bhi hue hain. 2031 tak bahiri sasta support kam ho jayega, is liye ghar mein banana aur khud khareedna zyada zaroori ho jayega.
