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Hyderabad, August 24Nigeria has introduced Bharat Biotech International’s Rotavac vaccine for immunisation programme for children.
“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 currently accounts for 14 per cent of all childhood rotavirus deaths globally, making it the country with the second-highest number of rotavirus deaths in the world. Rotavirus infection causes about 50,000 child fatalities under the age of five each year in Nigeria.
“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
Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of diarrheal disease in the world and is responsible for over 40 per cent of diarrhoea in children.
It accounts for about 215,000 of the 525,000-under-5 mortality worldwide each year that are attributed to diarrheal diseases, making it the most common cause of severe diarrhoea.
Rotavac received WHO-prequalification in January 2018. Bharat Biotech developed the first generation, rotavirus vaccine, Rotavac, under a Public-Private Partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and 16 other international partners, making it the largest ever social innovation project for public health, according to the release.
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