Cuba offers to produce its Covid-19 vaccine in Pakistan

Cuban envoy floats proposal in meeting with Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz, says official statement

Cuba has offered to establish a centre for vaccine production in Pakistan which can be used for both indigenous use and exports, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology on Tuesday.

Ambassador of Cuba Zener Javier Caro Gonzalez floated the proposal during his meeting with Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz, the statement added.

The development comes days after Cuba approved its home-grown Abdala vaccine for emergency use, the first Latin American coronavirus jab to reach this stage and a possible lifeline for a region trying to battle a killer pandemic with modest means.

The country's CECMED health regulator gave the go-ahead on Friday after Abdala's makers last month announced the vaccine candidate was more than 92 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19 disease after three doses.

Also read: At least 35 cases of Covid-19's Delta variant detected in Karachi since June

Cuba is working on five coronavirus vaccines, and in May started immunising its population using two of them — Abdala and Soberana 2 — even before they received approval.

In today’s meeting, both sides also discussed the measures taken by their respective governments to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shibli Faraz emphasised the need for enhancing cooperation between the two countries in various fields especially science and technology.

He highlighted that both countries can benefit from the experiences of each other in agriculture, water conservation and biotechnology.

The minister also appreciated the Cuban medical scholarships offered to Pakistani students.

(With input from AFP)