India playing key role in global immunisation program: Expert

The Indian vaccine industry is meeting 60 per cent of global immunisation program particularly 65 per cent of the children in the world, according to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) Deputy Drugs Controller Dr A Ramakishan.

He was speaking as distinguished guest at a national conference on “PharmaBuzz-2023” organised by GITAM (deemed to be university) School of Pharmacy here on Friday.

In his address he informed that around 21 bulk vaccines and 32 vaccine formulations are approved in India for human use to promote community health.

Ramakishan mentioned that out of 21 human vaccine manufacturers in India eight vaccine manufacturers are pre-qualified by WHO for supply to UN agencies (43 vaccines in 88 formulations). He briefed that eight out of top 20 global generic companies are from India particularly about 300 large and over 10,000 SMEs in Indian pharmaceutical sector are contributing 85 per cent of market branded generic medicines and exporting 201 countries.

He said that the government is taking all steps for improving transparency and accountability and also promoting ethical and scientific clinical research and development of new drugs.

The expert observed that the government initiated Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission, which is a cashless and Aadhar-enabled facility. It is considered as world’s largest government-funded healthcare program and offers various health benefits to the poor peoples of the nation.

GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (GIMSR) Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof B Gitanjali, Registrar Prof D Gunsekharan, GITAM School of Pharmacy Dean Prof Jagattaran Das, Christ University (Bengaluru) Centre for Advanced Research and Development Director Prof Gurumurthy Hegde, Aspire Scientific Director Dr Subhendu Saha, Sri Krishna Pharma Vice-President Dr Krishna Prasad and others were present.