SIFC-Backed DRAP Laboratory Receives WHO Accreditation

A laboratory backed by the Special Investment Facilitation Council and operated under the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has received formal accreditation from the World Health Organization, marking a significant milestone for Pakistan's pharmaceutical regulatory infrastructure. The WHO nod positions the facility as an internationally recognised testing and quality assurance centre.

The accreditation is expected to have direct commercial implications for Pakistan's pharmaceutical export sector, as products tested and certified by WHO-recognised laboratories face fewer regulatory barriers in international markets. Industry analysts have noted that the absence of domestically accredited testing capacity has historically constrained Pakistani pharma firms seeking approvals in European and other regulated markets.

The SIFC, which coordinates high-priority investment and institutional reform efforts, played a key facilitation role in upgrading the laboratory's infrastructure and aligning its protocols with WHO prequalification standards. The process is understood to have taken several years of systematic investment and regulatory reform.

Officials from DRAP and the Ministry of Health are expected to formally announce the accreditation in a ceremony in the coming days. The development reinforces Pakistan's broader ambitions to expand pharmaceutical exports, which have been identified as a priority sector under the government's industrial growth strategy.