Tunis, 20 May (TAP) - Health Minister Mustapha Ferjani reaffirmed Tunisia's readiness to become a regional hub for the manufacturing of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, particularly in light of the country's selection by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the beneficiaries of mRNA vaccine technology transfer.

The Minister was speaking during the proceedings of the 78th World Health Assembly, currently underway in Geneva under the chairmanship of the Philippines.

On the sidelines of the global health event, Minister Ferjani held a series of high-level bilateral meetings, namely with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Mauritania, France, and Ireland, in addition to a meeting with the Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool — a UN-backed public health organisation dedicated to improving access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries.

These meetings explored avenues for enhanced cooperation in health sector training, financing, and pharmaceutical industry development.