ISLAMABAD: Cuba wants to establish Covid vaccine production facility in Pakistan. Ambassador of Cuba Zener Javier Caro Gonzalez proposed this in a meeting with Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the development of a vaccine production facility will support Pakistan in its efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic, as the country’s biotech and pharmaceutical industry is underdeveloped and produces few vaccines.
Pakistan and Cuba also discussed the measures taken by their respective governments to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pakistan has seen a resurgence of coronavirus cases in recent days, with a highly contagious Delta variant of the novel virus quickly spreading. A total of 22,642 people have died from coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic in Pakistan.
The country has also boosted its inculcation drive, and administered 525,000 doses on Tuesday, the highest number since it began its immunisation drive in February.
Last month, Pakistan started producing the single-dose CanSinoBio COVID-19 vaccine with China’s help.
Branded PakVac, the vaccine was made at the National Institute of Health (NIH), which will be able to produce three million doses per month that would help in significantly reducing Pakistan’s dependence on other countries for Covid-19 vaccine.
