Médecins Sans Frontières - Niger
Rotavirus kills almost 500 000 children a year. It causes an acute bowel infection, and is a common cause of extreme diarrhoea and vomiting.
Although vaccines against rotavirus are now available, the vaccination rate remains low in many countries. That is because doses are too expensive and also need to be kept refrigerated all the way from production line to recipient’s arm.
Médecins Sans Frontières will be testing a new heat-resistant vaccine against rotavirus in Niger. If this proves effective, it will be approved by the World Health Organisation.