Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Wednesday afternoon that cooperation with Chinese pharmaceutical companies would play a pivotal role in transforming Pakistan’s healthcare industry by facilitating technology transfer, investment and advanced manufacturing capabilities. 

Speaking at s news conference, the minister said the recently concluded Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference 2026 marked a significant breakthrough in bilateral cooperation, particularly in pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology and vaccine production. 

He said six priority pharmaceutical sub-sectors were identified during the conference to attract Chinese investment and expertise, reflecting both countries’ commitment to expanding strategic cooperation in the healthcare industry. 

Mustafa Kamal disclosed that Pakistan currently imports all 13 vaccines used under its national immunisation programme, making domestic production an urgent national priority. To address this challenge, he said the government had finalised Pakistan’s first National Vaccine Policy, which would provide a roadmap for establishing local vaccine manufacturing facilities through partnerships with international companies, particularly from China. 

He said China’s globally recognised capabilities in pharmaceutical research, biotechnology and vaccine manufacturing could help Pakistan build a sustainable domestic production base, reducing reliance on imported vaccines while improving health security. 

“The objective is to create local manufacturing capacity so Pakistan can gradually become self-sufficient in vaccine production through international cooperation and technology transfer,” he said. 

The minister noted that the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference generated strong interest from Chinese pharmaceutical firms, attracting 140 Chinese companies and 240 business delegations during the two-day event. More than 340 business-to-business meetings were held between Pakistani and Chinese enterprises to explore joint ventures, manufacturing partnerships and investment opportunities. He revealed that 22 companies signed commercial agreements worth US $629.5 million, while additional Memoranda of Understanding valued at $800 million were concluded, taking total announced commitments to more than US $1.4 billion. 

Mustafa Kamal said the Ministry of Health had successfully facilitated business matchmaking between Pakistani and Chinese companies, enabling productive discussions on pharmaceutical manufacturing, technology transfer and industrial collaboration. 

He added that the government had already begun maintaining regular contact with participating companies to ensure that the agreements moved beyond documentation and resulted in operational projects, production facilities and long-term investments. 

Highlighting Pakistan’s existing pharmaceutical capacity, the minister said the country currently produces nearly 85 per cent of the medicines consumed domestically and exports pharmaceutical products to approximately 52 countries, demonstrating the industry’s growing international potential. However, he acknowledged that around 95 per cent of pharmaceutical raw materials continue to be imported, underlining the importance of closer cooperation with China to localise supply chains, improve industrial resilience and enhance export competitiveness. 

The minister also outlined reforms aimed at making Pakistan’s regulatory environment more attractive for foreign investors. 

He said the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had introduced an online regulatory system to streamline the registration of medicines, medical devices and related products, reducing delays and improving transparency. 

He expressed confidence that DRAP would be fully digitised within the next year, creating a more efficient and investor-friendly regulatory framework for both Pakistani and Chinese pharmaceutical companies.