icddr,b a pioneer in improving public health

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has lauded icddr,b's pioneering role in improving public health, especially of child and maternal health in Bangladesh and beyond, through its innovative solutions like oral cholera vaccine and oral saline to treat diarrhoea.

“It's a first class international research institution. When we established other international institutions later on, it served as a model,” said Muhith at “icddr,b Day: a celebration of science and innovation” organised by icddr,b in its auditorium in the capital yesterday.

The icddr,b was initially set up as a Cholera Research Laboratory in 1960 and was turned into the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) in 1978.

Prof John D Clemens, its executive director, said Bangladesh is one of the few countries that have achieved the health-related MDGs.

Alison Blake, British high commissioner to Bangladesh, said the UK was proud to be a core donor of icddr,b and would continue to provide fund to the organisation.

“icddr,b is truly unique. It has developed many low-cost solutions,” said Benoit-Pierre Laramee, high commissioner of Canada.

Dr Richard Smith, chair of trustee board of icddr,b; Syed Monjurul Islam, its deputy executive director; and Anders Öhrström, deputy head of mission and head of development cooperation of Swedish embassy, also spoke.