50th anniversary

The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) is a health research organisation located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1960 as the Pak-SEATO Cholera Research Laboratory, the Center was re-established as ICDDR,B by Ordinance No. LI, in 1978 of the Government of Bangladesh. ICDDR,Bhas two key objectives - to improve the health of the people of Bangladesh and to train people in research and services. This commitment led to the discovery and implementation of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT), which is a simple mixture of water with salt and sugar that has been praised as the most important medical discovery of the Twentieth Century.

During 2010, ICDDR,B will be celebrating 50 years as an international research and training centre. Over the years it has transitioned from an organization focused mainly on diarrhoeal diseases to one with a much broader public health agenda, addressing the main challenges facing people in Bangladesh, especially the most vulnerable, as well of those living in other developing parts of the world.