Welcome address.

Honorable Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, honorable Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, honorable Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Syed Shamim Ashan, Director of ICDDR, B, Dr. Demissie Habte, excellencies, heads of international agencies, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to this important ceremony in celebration of 25 years of oral rehydration solution or ORS. ORS is a remarkably cost-effective, low-technology remedy that can be prepared and used in the home to treat what used to be the world's leading killer of children: diarrheal disease. Through the use of ORS, diarrheal disease had now been demoted to second place among the causes of death among the children of the world. ORS saves a million lives and billions of dollars a year. It is appropriate that we should celebrate this remarkable scientific breakthrough. This function was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and ICDDR, B. The fact that we have organized this together illustrates the close working relationship between the Government of Bangladesh and ICDDR, B. ICDDR, B is a remarkable and unique institution. It is the only truly international health and population research institution located in a developing country. This ceremony with the distinguished international audience bears testimony to the global importance, value and success of ICDDR, B's work. On behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, welcome.