The 13th African Rotavirus Symposium (ARS), organised under the auspices of the African Rotavirus Network (AfrRN), will be a virtual event. The symposium is hosted by the University of Nairobi in partnership with WHO African Regional Office (WHO AFRO), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).

The 13th ARS will be held on the 3rd and 4th November 2021 and the format will be one 3-hour session on each day. 

The theme of the symposium is “Maintaining momentum for rotavirus immunization during the COVID-19 era” 

The session topics are: 

• Update on Rotavirus Vaccines and Immunization in the context of COVID-19 pandemic
• New Research Updates
• Host interactions with rotavirus (immune/microbiome/etc.)
• Rapid fire updates from the field

The symposium organisers are reaching out to rotavirus researchers, policymakers, clinicians, public health practitioners and health officials to share ideas, expertise and learning across organizations and countries in the areas of rotavirus vaccine introduction, vaccine impact and diarrheal disease prevention and control in Africa.