Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the lack of biomaterials with reliable clinical data infrastructure is one of the major reasons why Bangladesh is under represented in wider medical research.

The prime minister said this in a video message that was played at the roundtable titled “Biobanking with Bangladesh: A joint approach to disease management and prevention”, a collaborative initiative taken by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Embassy of Bangladesh in Brussels and the European Union.

The event is aimed at laying the groundwork for establishment of national biobank in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh has made commendable progress in clinical care, medical education and research in recent years with the establishment of a number of medical universities and institutions.

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She mentioned that as part of government’s constitutional and global commitment to provide universal health coverage, it has set up about 18,500 community clinics and health centers at rural level.

“We have undertaken various measures to introduce state-of-the-art facilities in the medical sector,” she said.

Thus, she said, for the development of translational research capacity in Bangladesh, creating a world-class biobank is critical.

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“Biobank will promote innovation and discoveries in medical and other branches of life sciences disciplines. It could lead to significant improvement in ability to diagnose, prevent and provide personalized care,” she added.

The prime minister said that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, the apex postgraduate medical institution in Bangladesh with a 2650-bed hospital, 8 faculties, 68 departments, and about 500 faculty members, has the ability to host such facilities.

She welcomed the individuals and organisations to form a comprehensive strategic collaboration with Bangladesh and make long-term commitment towards the enhancement of the health and well-being of millions of citizens in Bangladesh and beyond.

“Contributing to this biobank is not limited to only a financial choice; it's a humanitarian deed, a symbol of hope for a world where everyone has access to quality healthcare,” she said.

She asserted that their contribution would surpasses mere numerical values.

“It symbolises the preservation of life, the safeguarding of family, and the empowerment of a nation, which in turn will contribute to overall research capacity regionally,” she said.

She urged all to work together to make establishment of biobank a reality a better and healthier world.

“Let us work together to make this biobank a reality, a symbol of optimism that will lead to a better, healthier world,” she said.