The acting minister of public health has emphasized the importance of achieving self-sufficiency in the healthcare sector and announced that the ministry is working to begin vaccine production in Afghanistan in the near future.
Noor Jalal Jalali also called on countries with expertise in vaccine manufacturing to provide technical assistance to Afghanistan in this effort.
“We plan to lay the foundation for producing several types of vaccines domestically in the future. We are seeking cooperation from countries experienced in this field. This is a significant step, but it is not impossible,” he said.
The Ministry also introduced three pharmaceutical factories that have received Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification.
GMP certification means these factories produce medicines according to international standards and can now export their products abroad.
Hamidullah Zahid, deputy minister for drugs and food at the Ministry of Public Health, said: “We hope that in the near future, other factories will also be granted this certification so they can further develop their industries.”
The economic deputy of the prime minister’s office also reiterated the Islamic Emirate’s support for the private sector and emphasized that increasing standard pharmaceutical production will benefit the country’s economic growth. He called on all domestic institutions to support local products.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, economic deputy of the prime minister’s office, said: “I urge all departments to follow the order of the esteemed Amir al-Mu’minin by using domestic products, prioritizing standard local production, and giving serious attention to procurement processes.”
At the same time, the administrative deputy of the prime minister’s office stated that relevant institutions are actively working across the country in the areas of medicine and food, and he called on importers and manufacturers to avoid importing or producing low-quality products.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, administrative deputy of the prime minister’s office, said: “Do not produce or import low-quality medicines and food. If anyone violates this, the Islamic Emirate will take strict measures both in legislation and enforcement.”
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has already achieved self-sufficiency in serum production. On 7 May 2024, for the first time, nearly two million serum packets worth $580,000 were exported to Iraq.