INTRODUCTION:
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe childhood diarrhoea globally, with about 80% of the burden distributed within the African region. The introduction of rotavirus vaccines into the national immunisation schedules of many countries has led to a significant reduction in rotavirus morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the impact of the rotavirus vaccine on childhood diarrhoea cases in West African countries.

METHODS:
A comprehensive search was carried out using the Google Scholar and PubMed databases to identify articles on Rotavirus, Vaccines, and Childhood diarrhoea in West Africa. Relevant peer-reviewed articles were analysed and summarised in a narrative review.

RESULTS:
We reviewed 10 articles from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal, Togo and The Gambia. There was a decline in rotavirus-positive hospitalisations of 43-57% in three countries and up to 80% in Senegal and The Gambia, especially in children <12 months of age who have the most burden of cases and severe diarrhoea, but no significant reduction in the number of hospitalisations in children >12 months of age.

CONCLUSIONS:
The findings from this study support the continued inclusion of the rotavirus vaccine in the national immunisation schedules of West African countries and call for expanded coverage of the vaccine across different states within these countries. Continued surveillance post-vaccination is necessary for every country to monitor the medium and long-term impact of the vaccine on children in West Africa.