Pakistan has attained World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification for its central drug laboratory, marking a significant advancement for the nation’s pharmaceutical industry and regulatory framework. This certification, announced on Thursday, represents the first instance of a Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP)-affiliated lab meeting international standards, enabling drug testing to be conducted domestically rather than outsourced to countries like Singapore.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal highlighted that this upgrade will greatly enhance the quality control of medicines manufactured within Pakistan and bolster confidence in the country’s pharmaceutical exports. Previously, drug quality verification was inadequate, but with this certification, testing can now be performed locally under globally recognized standards.
Notably, this development is expected to improve both domestic production quality and access to international markets. Pakistan currently exports medicines to 51 countries; however, regulatory and certification challenges had limited entry to over 100 additional potential markets.
In a significant development, Kamal revealed that Pakistan aims to secure WHO Level 3 certification within the next six months. Achieving this would further expand export opportunities to approximately 150 countries. He emphasized that the pharmaceutical sector already produces medicines that meet international quality benchmarks, with certification being the primary hurdle rather than the quality itself.
Meanwhile, the health minister also discussed progress in Pakistan’s national vaccination programme. The country now maintains a formal immunisation policy, offering free vaccines to children against 13 diseases. Currently, 51 percent of the programme’s funding comes from the government, while 49 percent is supported by external aid.
Kamal projected that by 2030, Pakistan will need to fully finance its vaccine procurement, which is presently estimated at $340 million and expected to rise to $1.2 billion after international assistance phases out. The government is actively preparing to ensure both financial and institutional capacity to sustain immunisation coverage over the long term.
