New Delhi: The Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu urged healthcare practitioners, media and civil society to partner with the government in spreading awareness about vaccination and addressing apprehensions. He also said that there was an urgent need to address the wrong information being spread about vaccination, especially through social media.
Addressing the gathering after launching the new rotavirus vaccine – ROTAVAC5D® designed and developed by Bharat Biotech in New Delhi today, the Vice President said that the vaccine would be a great help in tackling the spread of Rotavirus that causes nearly 8,72,000 hospitalizations, over 32 lakh outpatient visits and an estimated 78 thousand deaths annually in India.
Shri Naidu also pointed out that the disease could push many Indian families, especially those below the poverty line into considerable financial distress and also imposes the significant economic burden on the country.
Opining that every child must benefit from life-saving vaccines and have a joyful childhood and fulfilling life, the Vice President called for an enhanced focus on Immunization. Describing Immunization as children’s basic right, he said that it was the key to the health, wellbeing, and happiness of any child.
Pointing out that India was firmly committed to ending morbidity and mortality in children caused due to Diarrhoea by 2022, the Vice President said that it was committed to the goal of protecting the health of every single one of its children.
The Vice President also called upon the people in the medical fraternity to create awareness about the adverse impacts of changing lifestyles and dietary habits among people. He stressed the need to convert programs such as Fit India, Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhai and Yoga into people’s movements to achieve the desired results.
The Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Biotech International Limited, Dr. Krishna Ella, Joint Managing Director, Bharat Biotech, Smt. Suchitra Ella, the President, Bharat Biotech, Shri Sai Prasad, and representatives from more than 14 countries attended the event at Uparashtrapati Bhavan.
Following is the full text of speech –
“I am delighted to be here with the distinguished scientists, and members from the scientific community, on this momentous occasion.
Today we are celebrating two significant milestones achieved by Bharat Biotech. The first being the completion of delivery of 100 Million Doses of indigenously made ROTAVAC®.
The second is the launch of the new ROTAVAC5D®.
I am extremely happy today as I also had the good fortune of bearing witness to the launch of ROTAVAC® by the Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi in March, 2015.
The Prime Minister, during the launch, lauded the ROTAVAC® initiative as an example of India’s capabilities in high-end research and development and as a successful model for effective Public-Private-Partnership for finding affordable solutions to formidable challenges faced by the world today.
I believe that ROTAVAC is an example of a true social innovation,that was realized through a partnership between scientists from India and the US.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Krishna Ella and his team of scientists who toiled for over 20 years to make this crucial vaccine a reality.
It is a matter of grave concern that each year, Rotavirus causes nearly eight lakh seventy two thousand hospitalisations, thirty two lakh seventy thousand outpatient visits and an estimated seventy eight thousand deaths annually in India.
The disease pushes many Indian families, especially those below the poverty line into considerable financial distress and also imposes significant economic burden on the country.
India is committed to the goal of protecting the health of each and every single one of its children.
Immunization is key to the health, wellbeing and happiness of any child.
It is their basic right.
Vaccines have been one of the biggest success stories of modern medicine.
WHO estimates that at least 10 million deaths were prevented between 2010 and 2015, thanks to vaccinations delivered around the world.
Polio was once the most dreaded disease in India. Thanks to the government’s dedicated vaccination drives and the role played by media and civil society in spreading awareness about vaccination, India has been declared free from Polio in 2014.
Every single child must benefit from such life-saving vaccines, and have a joyful childhood and a fulfilling life.
Unfortunately there is a lot of wrong information about vaccination being spread, especially through social media.
I urge healthcare practitioners, media and civil society to partner with the government in spreading awareness about vaccination and addressing apprehensions.
I am happy to note, that the Government of India is in the forefront of Universal Immunization Program and has included ROTAVAC® in its immunization drive, by providing vaccines to infants and children.
India is firmly committed to ending morbidity and mortality in children caused due to diarrhoea by 2022.
I am also happy to know that the Intensified version of India’s ambitious immunization program, Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0, to be rolled out from 2 December 2020, is set to achieve the goal of attaining 90% national immunization coverage across India.
I am delighted to have launched ROTAVAC5D® from Bharat Biotech today.
Bharat Biotech has successfully designed and developed a vaccine that is cost-effective due to its efficacy and low cold chain footprint.
The Vaccine is easy to adapt under universal immunization programs by countries and also reduces biomedical waste, which is outstanding.
I am told that ROTAVAC® has already been introduced in several countries worldwide
India is emerging as the Pharmacy to the world, as it is one of the largest sources of quality, affordable medicines.
The mantra of our civilization has always been “Sarve Santu Niraamayaa”, let everyone be free of disease.
The first generation, Rotavirus vaccine, ROTAVAC® developed under a Public-Private Partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, has put India on the global map for setting new standards in pharmaceutical Research and Development.
The nation is incredibly proud of its scientists, inventors and innovators.
I am sure that Bharat Biotech and its team of scientists led by Dr. Krishna Ella will continue to uncover new ways to combat global public health challenges that affect nations.
I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to each and every one at Bharat Biotech and
