August 9, 2010

Considering that:

• Diarrhea is the second greatest killer of children under five worldwide, killing 1.33 million children under five each year;
• Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrheal disease;
• Rotavirus-related diarrheal disease takes the lives of more than 500,000 children under five every year and is responsible for the hospitalization of millions more around the world;
• 85% of rotavirus deaths occur in low income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia;