Biotechnology has become the world's major industry to produce all preventive vaccines against human as well as livestock whereas Pakistan is importing poultry vaccine worth six billion rupees (PKR) every year, reports Pakistan Observer.

This was stated by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Professor Muhammad Nawaz while addressing a workshop entitled 'Molecular Diagnostics' organised by the UVAS Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology. The UVAS VC said that Pakistan could make progress by leaps and bounds by adopting new research and developing sciences.

He called upon pharmaceutical entrepreneurs and businessmen to join hands with UVAS on its unique project, Lahore Biotechnology Park.

Dr Nawaz said: "Pakistan is importing preventive diagnostic and therapeutic biological for use in animals and human worth billions of dollars and only the poultry import is nearly six billion rupees per annum."

Director Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Professor Masroor Elahi Baber, said that molecular diagnostics facilitated the detection and characterisation of disease, drug response, identification of genetic modifiers, disease susceptibility and provides key epidemiology and surveillance data.

He explained the critical importance of advancements in molecular diagnostics and its benefits to public health in the workshop.