DHAKA, Jan 28, 2020 (BSS) – A three-day 15th Asian Conference on
Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD) began today at Dhaka.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque inaugurated the
conference as the chief guest at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the city,
said a press release here.
The conference focused on the latest developments in vaccines and issues
in enteric infections, nutrition, policy and practice.
This year’s theme is “Typhoid, cholera, other enteric diseases and their
relationship to nutritional disorders: Persisting challenges for low and
middle-income countries in an era of humanitarian crisis”.
Over 450 researchers, healthcare professionals, vaccinologists, nutrition
experts and policymakers from 18 countries are participating in the
conference to share their knowledges and expertises.
The event is being organised by International Centre for Diarrhoeal
Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) and supported by the Government of
Bangladesh, the World Health Organisation, the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Zahid Maleque said the discussion and the findings of the conference will
immensely help to control the major health problems of the country and to
achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030.
Dr Firdausi Qadri, senior scientist of Enteric and Respiratory Infections
at ICDDR,B and the President of the ASCODD delivered the welcome speech while
former Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Professor
Nirmal K Ganguly discussed about the background of ASCODD.
Executive Director of ICDDR,B Dr John Clemens, Prof of the University of
Gothenburg, Sweden Dr Jan Holmgren and Director General for Health Services
Prof Abul Kalam Azad, among others, also spoke in the opening session.
Scientists and experts from the world’s leading research institutions,
representatives from the World Health Organisation, Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation as well as sponsors are also attending the conference.