The Clinical Research Platform, Bangladesh, a tripartite initiative of icddr,b, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) will organise the two-day congress.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque is scheduled to inaugurate it at Shaheed Dr Milon Hall of BSMMU as the chief guest.
Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) Chairman Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali and Health Services Division Secretary Md Ashadul Islam will attend as special guests.
The first scientific congress on NCDs will kick off with a pre-conference workshop – ‘How to get your research published?’ – on Saturday at icddr,b’s Sasakawa Auditoriam in Mohakhali. It will be facilitated by Anita Jain, Clinical Editor of the BMJ.
Organisers said the scientific congress will offer an opportunity to present and share seminal works on NCDs with national and international experts.
They said the event will help develop pragmatic strategies for tackling NCDs in Bangladesh, and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4, focused on ‘reduction of pre-mature mortality by one-third from non-communicable diseases within 2030 through prevention and treatment, and to promote mental health and wellbeing’.
Nine key thematic issues have been selected for the congress. These are – hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, prevention of diabetes in Bangladesh, stroke and other neurological disorders, mental health and neuro development disorders, chronic kidney diseases, rheumatology and musculoskeletal disorders, chronic respiratory diseases, oncology, and evidence of NCDs in Bangladesh: prevention and control.
Bangladesh has seen an 8.7 percent rise (from 58.3% to 66.9%) between 2010 and 2016 in deaths related to NCDs, according to icddr,b.
One in four Bangladeshi adults, aged 25 years or over, are hypertensive, while one in ten had diabetes, according to a 2015 estimate.
Prevalence of cancer is also very high – an estimated 1.3-1.5 million patients are suffering from cancer with 200,000 newly diagnosed cases each year.
Kidney Foundation of Bangladesh estimates that 18 million people suffer from kidney disease. Of them, annually 35,000-40,000 patients develop chronic kidney diseases, eventually leading to kidney failure.
Ahead of the scientific congress, BSMMU Vice-Chancellor, and the Chair of the Organising Committee Prof Kanak Kanti Barua said everyone understands that evidence-based interventions catered to the Bangladeshi people is the key to reducing NCD-related mortality and morbidity.
“Under the Clinical Research Platform, Bangladesh, collaborations between clinicians and public health researchers have reached a new height and opened up new horizon for NCD research,” he said.
Head of Initiative for Non-communicable Diseases at icddr,b and convener of the Congress Dr Aliya Naheed said while awareness and interventions related to NCDs grew over the last decade in Bangladesh, they still have a huge challenge ahead to curb premature mortality and achieve SDG target 3.4 by 2030.
The congress will conclude following an award giving ceremony on October 21 in presence of University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Dr Kazi Shahidullah as the chief guest.