Children will be protected from a potentially fatal diarrheal disease by an oral vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech.
Nigeria has implemented the Rotavac vaccine from Bharat Biotech International for its child immunisation programme.
“Rotavirus oral vaccine Rotavac has been introduced by Nigeria to immunize its children from the life-threatening diarrhoeal disease that affects millions of children worldwide,’‘ Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech said in a release on Wednesday.
Nigeria is currently the nation with the second-highest number of rotavirus deaths in the world, accounting for 14% of all childhood rotavirus deaths worldwide. In Nigeria, rotavirus infections account for 50,000 child deaths under the age of five each year.
“Decades of research and product development have resulted in Rotavac. This vaccine is now available in several countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East,’‘ Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech said. He added: “We are proud to state that novel vaccines from India are saving lives worldwide. Rotavac is safe and effective at preventing diarrheal disease caused by the Rotavirus.’‘
The virus
Over 40% of diarrheal illnesses in children are brought on by rotavirus, one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness around the globe.
It is the most frequent cause of severe diarrhoea, accounting for around 215,000 of the 525,000 under-5 deaths globally each year that are related to diarrheal illnesses.
In January 2018, Rotavac attained WHO prequalification. According to the press release, Bharat Biotech created the first generation rotavirus vaccine, Rotavac, in a Public-Private Partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, the Government of India, and 16 other foreign partners. This project was the largest social innovation project ever for public health.