Bangladeshi scientist, Dr Firdausi Qadri, won the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

• Dr Qadri is an emeritus scientist at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b).
• She is also a laureate of the 2020 L’Oréal-Unesco for Women in Science Award which was presented to her for her advocacy of early diagnoses and global vaccination & her work on understanding and preventing infectious diseases affecting children across developing countries.

She decided early on to pursue a career in medical research. She joined icddr,b in 1988 to focus her research on communicable diseases, immunology, vaccine development and clinical trials.

The most difficult assignments before her were in the fight against cholera and typhoid. These two major diseases are prevalent in Bangladesh as well as in Asian and African nations with limited access to adequate water, sanitation, medical treatment and education. Dr Qadri played a key role in development of a more affordable oral cholera vaccine (OCV) as well as typhoid conjugate vaccine (ViTCV) for infants, children and adults.

This institute was founded by her in 2014. It conducts biomedical research and runs training courses as well as a testing center. The institute has become a hub of scientific activity by local and visiting scientists in Bangladesh.

Ramon Magsaysay Award is the highest honour in Asia. It was established in April 1957 and is widely regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Asia. The award is presented to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions in eradication of poverty and development of the society in Asia.

Other recipients of award in 2021 are-

1. Mohammad Amjad Saqib from Pakistan
2. Steven Muncy from South-East Asia.

By: Brijesh Kumar