Amid ongoing trade restrictions with India, Pakistan has initiated efforts to find alternative sources for importing raw materials crucial for its pharmaceutical industry, including vaccines.
Officials confirmed that the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, is formulating a new strategy to reduce the country’s dependence on Indian imports.
Currently, about 30% of Pakistan’s raw materials for medicines, including key vaccines like anti-rabies, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and certain cancer drugs, are sourced from India. However, the search for new suppliers has intensified in light of the strained trade ties.
Authorities are now exploring options to import raw materials and vaccines from countries such as China, South Korea, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and several European nations. Sources revealed that Pakistan already relies on China for about 40% of its pharmaceutical raw material needs, and this partnership is expected to grow even stronger.
Before bilateral tensions escalated in 2019, nearly 60% of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical raw materials were imported from India. That figure has since been halved, and officials are confident that Pakistan can eventually eliminate its dependence on Indian supplies altogether by securing reliable alternative markets.
The Ministry of Health has indicated that once contacts with new countries are formalized, the registration process for imported raw materials will promptly begin to ensure smooth supply chains and avoid any disruption in the availability of essential medicines.
