15th Asian Conf on diarrhoeal disease, nutrition to be held in Dhaka in Jan

The icddr,b is organising the 15th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD 2020) next year.

It will be held on 28-30 January, 2020 in the city.

This year’s theme is ‘Typhoid, Cholera, other enteric diseases and their relationship to nutritional disorders: Persisting challenges for low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in an era of humanitarian crisis’.

The theme and significance of the conference is centred on two major burdens of enteric bacterial diseases in this decade - Cholera and Typhoid which together cause 23 million episodes and 300,000 deaths globally.

The conference focuses on the latest issues in enteric infections, nutrition, policy and practice.

It includes four symposia on subjects of global interest - Typhoid conjugate vaccine: prospects for use in Asia and Africa; Ending cholera 2030: Initiatives and challenges; Environmental enteropathy, gut microbiota and childhood malnutrition; and Antimicrobial Resistance and its impact on treatment of enteric infections.

The first-ever ASCODD was held in Dhaka and was organised by icddr,b in 1982.

Since then, ASCODD has emerged as a bridge between young researchers and global experts by facilitating knowledge sharing, ideas and research collaboration.

The 1982 conference envisioned a wider geographical scope and participations from other Asian nations. Later in 1983, the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata, India joined the initiative along with Indian researchers.

The past 14 conferences took place in eight Asian countries covering Bangladesh (3), India (3), Thailand (2), Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia (2) and the Philippines.

Dr Firdausi Qadri, Senior Scientist, Enteric and Respiratory Infections at icddr,b and the President of the ASCODD believes the conference will offer immense benefits to its participants.

She said Bangladesh is holding this conference after 17 years, offering a rare opportunity for researchers in the field of enteric diseases and nutrition, and to share their work and learn from other global experts.

“I believe the conference will immensely benefit them in strengthening their scientific pursuit,” she said.

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 will attend the conference.

Additionally, representatives from governments, and NGOs, physicians, and medical students interested in enteric bacterial diseases can leverage opportunities of global knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking from this platform.

Students from low and middle-income countries including Bangladesh will enjoy a discounted fee for registering for the conference.

Limited number of travel grants based on selection will be awarded to young scientists to enable them to participate in the meeting.

The website (http://www.ascodd.net/) for the ASCODD 2020 is now live to enable participants from Bangladesh and other countries to register, submit abstract.

Source: unb