A lifesaving solution within reach
A solution exists to protect children from one of the deadliest threats they face — diarrhoea and we can protect children with vaccines. The challenge is — vaccines are not yet available to Bangladeshi children. Now diarrhoea sickens more children than almost any other illness and is the second leading cause of child death. Rotavirus is its most common cause. Every child is vulnerable and without access to treatment, rotavirus can be a death sentence. Each year, hundreds of thousands of our children are hospitalised with rotavirus and likely recover after receiving care. Unfortunately for many, urgent medical care is out of reach and as a result, Bangladesh ranks among the top 10 countries for rotavirus deaths in young children. But rotavirus is preventable through immunisation. Two safe, effective vaccines have been in use since 2006 in countries around the world and they have already been tested here. From 2007-2009, a clinical study was conducted in Bangladesh and Vietnam to examine the impact of rotavirus vaccination. It was shown to cut the risk of severe diarrhoea in children by more than half during their first year of life when they face the greatest risk for infection. Vaccines are an essential weapon in the fight against rotavirus because although improvements in drinking water, sanitation and hygiene can stop other causes of diarrhoea, they cannot halt rotavirus. To date, none of the countries in our region have introduced rotavirus vaccines into their national immunisation programmes despite the fact that nearly half of all rotavirus deaths occur in Asia. The challenge is that vaccines can be expensive for countries to introduce without assistance. The GAVI Alliance, which supports vaccine introduction, is ready to help by providing financial support to countries like ours. GAVI also works to reduce vaccination costs and was recently able to negotiate a price reduction on rotavirus vaccines making them more affordable. GAVI plans to help roll out rotavirus vaccines in more than 40 countries by 2015. Bangladesh must be one of them. There is no better time than now to demonstrate our commitment to stopping rotavirus than by applying to GAVI for rotavirus immunisation support and swiftly introducing these vaccines into our national immunisation programme.
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