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On 25 February 2023, the Honourable Minister of International Development of Canada Mr Harjit S. Sajjan visited icddr,b campus in Mohakhali, Dhaka, to witness the institution's life-saving work and its partnership with Canada for over four decades. He was accompanied by the Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, H.E. Ms Lilly Nicholls, and other members from Global Affairs Canada.
Minister Sjjan’s visit to icddr,b was part of his commitment to finding innovative, affordable solutions to public health challenges faced by marginalised and disadvantaged populations living in low- and middle-income countries. He was welcomed by icddr,b's Executive Director Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, and the senior leadership team, who provided an overview of the institution's work which saved millions of lives in Bangladesh and globally.
The Minister spent some time at icddr,b's Dhaka Hospital, where he learned about the institution's low-cost innovations, including bubble CPAP for the treatment of children with severe pneumonia and hypoxemia, and Uddipto, a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) counselling service supported by Global Affairs Canada. He also explored icddr,b’s work on marginalised and disadvantaged communities, including transgender.
The Honourable Minister Harjit S. Sajjan was very impressed by icddr,b's life-saving research and innovations and expressed his commitment to continue supporting the institution in the future. He said, "I am so impressed with what I have witnessed here at icddr,b. The innovations that are taking place here are saving lives. What has impressed me the most is that the scientists and employees are utilising Canada's investment to turn complex medical issues into very simple solutions that can be used in the most vulnerable places. I am equally impressed that the knowledge they are gaining here is being shared with the rest of the world.”
Dr Tahmeed Ahmed appreciated the Honourable Minister’s interest in icddr,b's work and said, "We are grateful for Canada's continued support for more than forty-five years, which has enabled us to undertake research that is important not only to Bangladesh but also to low- and middle-income countries across the world. Together we have saved millions of lives worldwide, a feat made possible by the long-term support of our core donors, including Canada."
H.E. Ms Nicholls also lauded icddr,b’s highly impactful research and innovations. She said, “icddr,b is doing important work that is saving millions of lives. We have looked at unique technologies such as rehydration salt, the use of zinc to treat diarrhoea, the oral cholera vaccine, and the birthing mat. These are simple technologies, low cost, and made in Bangladesh, but they really have a tremendous impact on people’s health. We are so pleased to see this now world-renowned initiative, and we are proud that Canada supported it as well.”
Canada's support also allows icddr,b to provide free-of-charge treatment of diarrhoea and malnutrition to more than 200,000 patients annually in two of its hospitals in Dhaka and Matlab, Chandpur.
