Ethiopia Set to Save Children from Diarrhoea
Ethiopia today launches a program to protect the 2.8 million children born in the country each year with a vaccine against rotavirus, which leads to severe, and often fatal, diarrhoea. The country has one of the greatest burdens of rotavirus anywhere in the world, accounting for 6 per cent of all deaths from the disease globally. Ethiopia is the 17th country to introduce the rotavirus vaccine with GAVI Alliance support, according to UNICEF. “Few things in the world have a greater impact on public health than vaccines,” said GAVI CEO Dr Seth Berkley. “Rotavirus vaccine offers the best hope for preventing the deadly dehydrating diarrhoea caused by this disease and preventing thousands of deaths of young children in Ethiopia.” “Diarrhoea takes the lives of more than 38,500 Ethiopian children under-five each year, rotavirus being responsible for close to two-thirds of the deaths,” said Ethiopia’s Minister of Health Dr Admasu Kesetebirhan. “Providing rotavirus vaccines to our chil