The US national public health agency will fund the first Bangladesh Congress on Epidemiology and Public Health hybrid event (some to be present in-person and others online) from March 31 to April 1.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), and the Epidemiology Association of Bangladesh to this end, according to a statement.
High level officials of the Ministry of Health and US Ambassador Earl Miller will participate in the two-day conference in the congress.
This first-ever event will highlight the vital roles field epidemiology and public health play in saving lives and keeping people healthy in Bangladesh and across the world, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and previous epidemics.
The US health agency also intends the event to be a recurring biennial one.
Other special invited guests include: Md. Abdul Mannan, Secretary of Health Service Division; Md. Ali Nur, Secretary of Medical Education and Family Welfare Division; Professor Dr. ABM Khurshid Alam, Director General of Health Services; Professor Dr. AHM Enayet Hossain, Director General of Medical Education; Professor Dr. Meerjady Sabrina Flora ADG (Planning), DGHS; Professor Dr. Tahmina Shirin Director, IEDCR; Dr. Alden Henderson, Dr. Bassam Jarrar, and Dr. Carl Reddy from CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dr. Michael S. Friedman, Country Director, CDC, Bangladesh.
The two-day conference will bring together epidemiologists, researchers, public health professionals, faculties of community medicine from Bangladesh and other countries to share their experience in the field of public health.
The goal is to share scientific lessons learned in Bangladesh about COVID-19, other outbreaks, such as diphtheria, dengue, influenza, cholera, hepatitis, etc., and growing health challenges, including environmental health, mental health, heart disease, and toxicology, every two years.
Other objectives of the congress include establishing a global network of public health experts to apply COVID-19 lessons to preparing for future pandemics and outbreaks and building support for expanding the number of epidemiologists and public health experts in Bangladesh.
