New Delhi, March 24 Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that consolidated data on the production of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is not centrally maintained, as multiple private and public sector entities undertake manufacturing.
He was responding to a question about whether the production of RIG and ARV injections for the treatment of rabies in the country is less than the requirement, and yet they are being exported.
He said that health is a state subject, and the responsibility for strengthening the public healthcare system lies with the respective state and Union Territory (UT) governments.
India has an installed capacity for the production of approximately 81.7 million vials of ARV and 17.7 million vials of RIG annually.
Nadda said that 3,45,270 kg of RIG and ARV have been exported in 2024-2025, while 2,61,261 kg were exported in 2023-2024, according to information received from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics.
Under the National Health Mission (NHM), the government provides technical and financial support to states and UTs for strengthening their healthcare systems based on the proposals submitted by them in their programme implementation plans, subject to norms and availability of resources.
Under the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP), funds have been allocated through NHM to states and UTs under the National Free Drug Initiative (NFDI) for the purchase of RIG and ARV, Nadda said.
The procurement of RIG and ARV is decentralized, he said. Advisories are being issued from time to time to all states to maintain an uninterrupted supply of ARV and RIG through funds allocated under NFDI.