RIYADH, 18 July 2007 — The Ministry of Health has signed a SR49 million contract with a pharmaceutical company to supply different types of vaccines for use across the Kingdom.
Mansoor Al-Hawasi, deputy minister of health for executive affairs, signed the contract with GlaxoSmithKline’s Riyadh-based office yesterday. The company markets 25 vaccines worldwide to prevent potentially life-threatening or crippling illnesses such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza and bacterial meningitis.
“The contract is an extension of purchases made by the Kingdom for vaccines from various local and international companies to fulfill the needs of the population,” Al-Hawasi said, pointing out that the ministry has a separate department for preventive medicine.
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a certificate of appreciation commending the Kingdom as a polio-free nation since 1995. National polio coordinator Dr. Amin Mishkhas said that the Kingdom was able to achieve this distinction because of the availability of polio vaccines in the Kingdom. “Timely use of vaccines paves way for a healthy generation,” he said.
Vaccines for children and adults are available free-of-charge for nationals and expatriates in all primary health care centers throughout the Kingdom.
