Islamabad: Pakistan’s health sector is facing mounting financial pressure after the supply of low-cost vaccines from India stopped following the May 2025 conflict, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Saturday, warning of a sharp rise in vaccine import costs in the coming years.
Speaking about the growing burden on the national exchequer, Kamal said Pakistan currently imports vaccines worth around USD 400 million annually. Nearly half of this cost—about 49 per cent—is covered by international organisations operating through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), while Pakistan now bears the remaining 51 per cent.
“Unless we begin producing vaccines locally, Pakistan’s vaccine import bill could rise to USD 1.2 billion annually by 2031,” the minister said, noting that international financial support for vaccine procurement is expected to end the same year.
Pakistan has traditionally relied on GAVI to procure affordable vaccines, most of which were sourced from Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers. Kamal acknowledged that GAVI played a critical role in ensuring access to cost-effective, high-quality vaccines from India, even during periods of strained bilateral relations. He also recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of doses were supplied to Pakistan from India under the COVAX facility with GAVI’s support.
At present, the government provides 13 types of vaccines free of cost to citizens, but none are manufactured domestically. With a population of nearly 240 million and around 6.2 million births every year, demand for vaccines remains consistently high.
Kamal said international assistance has so far helped keep vaccine costs manageable, but warned that the situation could worsen if Pakistan does not build domestic manufacturing capacity. He added that the government has already started preparatory work to achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production instead of waiting for donor support to lapse.
The disruption in vaccine supply followed India’s Operation Sindoor launched on May 7 last year, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The operation led to four days of intense military exchanges before both sides agreed to halt hostilities on May 10.
