Shortage of ASVS, ARV denied

There is no shortage of anti-snake venom serum (ASVS) and anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) in the country, claimed Executive Director of National Institute of Health (NIH) Masood Anwar. Briefing the mediamen here on Wednesday, he said that the country got ASVS and ARV from two sources, first from the NIH and second private sector.
He said that the NIH had limited production capacity, therefore, two-thirds of the required ASVS and ARV was imported. The total annual requirement of ASVS was 100,000 vials and of ARV 100,000 courses, but the NIH produced 25,000 to 30,000 ASVS vials and 35,000 to 40,000 ARV courses every year, he added.
"This meets one-third of the national requirement", he said, adding that all public sector hospitals and organisations tried to purchase required vials and courses from the NIH for low rates compared with the imported stuff.
Sheep Brain Vaccine produced by the NIH costs Rs 500 per course. These vaccines are issued to 538 hospitals/ dispensaries of the country on proportionate basis. "It is of sad concern that the NIH is unable to meet the demand due to the limited production capacity", he said.
Masood Anwar said the NIH had begun producing ASVS and ARV in 1965 and it catered well to all public sector hospitals needs until 1995. But due to tremendous increase in population and increase in the number of stray dogs, the vaccine demand went up threefolds.
He, however, said that the NIH had prepared long-term plans to increase the production of both ASVS and ARV and they were under execution. He said that the NIH had also worked out a plan to increase current vaccine production within the next six months to one year.
When asked why the NIH was still producing sheep brain vaccine despite being considered in-efficacious and obsolete, Masood Anwar said that there were many countries in the world where the vaccine was being produced for being very cheap.
He said that the NIH had planned to introduce cell culture anti-rabies vaccine gradually in its place. "The cost of vaccine would certainly be as high as Rs 2,500 to Rs 2,750 per course. This, no doubt, would be much cheaper than the imported cell culture vaccine", he added.