Concentrate on producing vaccines locally

According to Dr Firdausi Qadri, winner of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award, Bangladesh needs to attain self-sufficiency in vaccine supply as soon as possible to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and any future public health emergencies. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star, the renowned scientist has said that as Bangladesh becomes a middle-income country, it will be increasingly difficult for it to acquire vaccines at a lower price. We have already seen how difficult it has been to acquire vaccines for a country like ours within a reasonable timeframe during the Covid-19 outbreak—with suppliers breaching contracts and developed countries hoarding vaccine doses. Once further effects of climate change and rapid urbanisation kick in, outbreaks of new and old infections may become more prevalent globally.

Despite Bangladesh making significant progress in the last six months in terms of building the necessary infrastructure to produce vaccines locally, the government has a lot more to do to promote existing vaccine production infrastructures as well as build new ones. Unfortunately, there was very little done in that regard until the last six months, which is the reason why we are still lagging when it comes to having the infrastructure to develop vaccines domestically. Private companies also have a huge role to play here, according to the noted scientist. But to entice them to come forward, it is imperative for Bangladesh to get WHO's prequalification, which will enable local pharmaceutical products—especially the vaccines—to enter the international market.

Having the capacity to produce vaccines locally is crucial. While medicines can cure diseases, preventing people from getting those diseases in the first place through vaccination is always a better alternative. Moreover, due to the overuse of antibiotics worldwide, we are seeing new and more powerful antibiotic-resistant superbugs emerging, which could pose a huge threat to public health in future. In addition, the increasing threat of future outbreaks of other diseases means that having the capacity to produce vaccines domestically has now become essential for our public health safety and national interest.

We hope the authorities heed the warnings of Dr Qadri and other medical experts and scientists, all of whom have stressed be importance taking quick and effective initiatives to develop Bangladesh's vaccine production capabilities. Not only will it add an important new item to Bangladesh's export basket, but it could also make the biggest difference when it comes to containing future outbreaks and saving thousands of lives.