In developing countries, over half a million children die from rotavirus every year and two million more are severely sickened or hospitalized, making rotavirus the leading cause of diarrhea deaths and illness worldwide.

Since the rotavirus vaccine was introduced in 2007, diarrhea-related deaths among Mexican children under the age of 5 have been cut nearly in half.

The 9th International Rotavirus Symposium brought together 365 participants from 65 countries from August 2-3, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In recent years, the developing world has received increasing flows of external financing for immunization efforts. The funding has enabled over 100 million children to be immunized annually against a growing number of diseases.