High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Dr Lilly Nicholls has said icddr,b is contributing not only to research but also to the community, specially to the poor who have no means or access to the services.

“It’s an incredible contribution. I am also very interested to see what you would do next. Canada of course has been with you as a proud core donor from the very beginning and will continue to do so,” she said while speaking as the chief guest at a special seminar.

The seminar was organised on the occasion of 63rd anniversary of icddr,b at its Sasakawa Auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday (December 5, 2023).

BIDS DG Dr Sen presented his keynote speech, titled “Poverty Trends and Determinants in Bangladesh: Insights from Recent Evidence” at the seminar.

Dr Sen also said that inequality is increasing in Bangladesh. Generally speaking, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. But the nature of inequality in Bangladesh is somewhat different.

According to Dr Sen, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have adversely affected the country’s poverty situation. However, Bangladesh has made significant progress in reducing poverty in the last decade.

Emphasising icddr,b’s ground-breaking development of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director of icddr,b, outlined its pivotal role in reducing childhood diarrhoeal disease mortality and advancing maternal and neonatal health, including significant progress in tetanus toxoid vaccine research.
Dr Ahmed said icddr,b has made global impact through its pioneering health innovations in its 63 years of journey.

His address also focused on icddr,b’s leadership in developing effective oral cholera vaccines, establishing guidelines for treating severe malnutrition, and contributing to global polio eradication efforts.

The afternoon featured a captivating cultural programme by icddr,b staff. In a video message, icddr,b’s Chair of the Board of Trustees Ms Nancy Cheng said, “I think it’s important to work hard but also to play hard. This is a place where there is so much opportunity. The breadth of work that we do has just tremendous potential to be unleashed. I wish everybody well, have fun, and believe in the organization.”