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             India Develops Lowest-Cost Vaccine to Prevent Diarrhea

   by Anjana Pasricha

   India says it has developed a low cost vaccine to prevent diarrhea - a
   disease that claims the lives of tens of thousands of infants and young
   children in developing countries. It is expected to be on the market by
   next year, and is being hailed as a significant breakthrough.

   Health officials say that clinical test results indicate the new
   vaccine is safe and effective against rotavirus, which causes severe
   diarrhea in children under the age of five.
   Rotavirus is spread through contaminated hands and surfaces, and is
   common in poor communities across Asia and Africa. The severe
   dehydration that babies suffer due to a bout of diarrhea takes a toll
   of half a million children every year.
   There are two vaccines in the market for rotavirus developed by
   multinational drug firms. But their high cost has kept them out of
   reach for many children across Asia and Africa.
   The vaccine developed in India will be just $1 per dose, making it
   affordable for both families and governments who want to make it part
   of their national immunization programs.
   Doctor M.K. Bhan, who helped develop the vaccine from a strain of the
   virus discovered in a hospital where he worked in New Delhi many years
   ago, said it cuts by more than half the risk of diarrhea for very young
   children. Bhan said it will be administered to infants when they are
   just a few weeks old.
   "This is six, 10 and 14 weeks of age with other vaccines and three
   doses, so it will fit into our immunization program," he explained. "It
   gives protection for two years and almost 95 per cent of the rotavirus
   disease is over by two years of age. Part of the social contract is it
   will a dollar a dose vaccine for the entire world."
   The vaccine will go to the regulator in about a month and could hit the
   market in less than a year in India. It will have to be approved by the
   [1]World Health Organization before it can be distributed globally.
   The development of the vaccine has been hailed by groups like the GAVI
   Alliance, which helps poor countries in vaccination programs. It says
   cheaper prices will make it possible to immunize more children, ease
   shortages and drive down the cost charged by other manufacturers.
   Dr. Bhan, who is a pediatrician, says prevention of diarrhea is
   important because children who get it are not just at risk of dying.
   Treating it is also traumatic.
   Dr. Bhan explains it is not easy to administer oral rehydration syrup
   (ORS) to children in hospitals to prevent dehydration.

   "A nine-month old baby, who has some dehydration, if you have to
   administer ORS, even for me who is supposed to be an expert in this
   area, it is nightmarish," the doctor admitted.  "I used to get
   frightened administering ORS to a nine-month old baby who was sick. And
   for poor mothers negotiating hospitals in the middle of the night, it
   is a tough task. We need prevention, I am all for prevention. The
   poorer the country, more important prevention is."
   The development of the vaccine is also being described as a path
   breaking example of an innovative collaboration between the Indian
   government, the private sector and groups such as the [2]Bill and
   Melinda Gates Foundation.
   Part of the investment in the vaccine's development has been borne by
   Bharat Biotech, a private Indian drug company. While India's drug
   industry is well known for making low cost generic drugs, it is often
   faulted for not paying enough attention to supporting research.
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   [3]http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to
   -prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html

References

   1. http://www.who.org/
   2. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/
   3. http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to-prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html