UK's support for research and innovation carried out by icddr,b - a globally renowned health research centre, would continue. The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson reiterated the UK government’s commitment to icddr,b during his visit to the centre on Tuesday. He observed how easily research done at the centre gets translated to low-cost solutions to serve people in need in Bangladesh and other parts of the world.
Dickson said, “Research and innovation have a vital role to play at the heart of public health policy making and implementation, and I look forward to working with icddr,b to ensure we have the best possible advice, from the best experts, based on the strongest evidence.” Chatterton Dickson who was impressed by the volume of public health research, was very keen to learn about icddr,b, and its recent emergency response role in the Rohingya crisis.
The High Commissioner and his wife Teresa Albor paid their first visit to icddr,b in city's Mohakhali on Tuesday. Chaterton Dickson and Albor were welcomed by icddr,b’s Executive Director and the winner of the Prince Mahidol Award 2018 (Public Health) Professor John D Clemens. During their visit, Clemens presented an overview of icddr,b and how UKAid contributes to its continued excellence in scientific discovery.
He explained how icddr,b provides basic and implementation research and knowledge translation to solve major public health problems facing low- and middle-income countries in the world. The High Commissioner toured icddr,b's clinical laboratory. Dr Niyaz Ahmed, Senior Director, Laboratory Sciences and Services at icddr,b demonstrated icddr,b’s state of art ISO accredited facility, which provides cutting edge services to research and to the general public.
The tour also included icddr,b’s free-of-charge Dhaka Hospital at Mohakhali, covering the intensive care unit, short-stay ward, breastfeeding counselling room, immunisation room and nutrition rehabilitation unit, which provides care to hundreds and thousands of people. Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Senior Director of Nutrition and Clinical Services and Dr Md Jobayer Chisti, Senior Scientist of Hospitals (ICU) briefed them about hospital operations and recent low cost innovations including bubble CPAP for treatment of children with severe pneumonia, and ready to use therapeutic food for treatment of children with severely acute malnutrition.
Prof. Clemens appreciated the high commissioner’s interest in visiting the institution so soon after his appointment. He said, “icddr,b’s research is supported by a combination of core support from bilateral donors and grant income. UKAid is one of the top three research grant providers. Also, we are very grateful to have UKAid as a long-term financial partner and an international core donor.”