US Ambassador to Bangladesh
Tackling Covid-19: Ambassador Miller lauds epidemiologists, public health experts
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller on Wednesday praised the epidemiologists and public health experts who continue to serve as Bangladesh’s frontline of defense to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has taught us many things. One of those things is policy and actions are only as effective as the science and data they are built upon,” he said.
Miller said they can promote mask wearing and social distancing because they know the science and data tells them it works.
“We can promote vaccination because the data from the vaccine trials and post vaccination surveillance tells us the vaccines are safe and effective. None of this is possible without epidemiologists and public health experts,” he said.
The US Ambassador inaugurated the first “Bangladesh Congress on Epidemiology and Public Health” and the two-day conference (Wednesday-Thursday) includes in-person and online sessions sharing experiences and scientific lessons from Bangladesh about COVID-19; establishing a global network of public health experts to apply COVID-19 lessons to prepare for future pandemics and outbreaks; and building support for expanding the number of epidemiologists and public health experts in Bangladesh.
Also read: Will work together with Bangladesh, global partners against Covid-19 pandemic: Miller
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), and the Epidemiology Association of Bangladesh to sponsor this first-ever national conference focused on the vital roles field epidemiology and public health play in saving lives and keeping people healthy from serious diseases in Bangladesh and across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lalbagh Fort cultural project inaugurated
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, MP and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller on Wednesday officially inaugurated the US-funded Lalbagh Fort cultural preservation and architectural documentation project in Old Dhaka.
The one-year initiative, funded through the U.S. government’s prestigious Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), supports restoring the Mughal-era Hammam Khana, one of three primary structures at the Lalbagh Fort complex dating from the 17th century.
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Upon completion in 2022, both levels of the Hammam Khana will reopen to the public.
Ambassador Miller and Minister Khalid launched a ceremonial photographic drone to formally initiate work on the project and toured the grounds.
The “Restoring, Retrofitting, and 3D Architectural Documentation of Historical Mughal-era Hammam Khana at Lalbagh Fort” initiative will be led by the Ministry of Culture’s Department of Archaeology, using historically authentic materials to restore architectural features and an advanced retrofitting system to improve safety and structural stability.
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Will work together with Bangladesh, global partners against Covid-19 pandemic: Miller
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller on Tuesday said America continues to work closely with Bangladesh in the fight against COVID-19 noting that the two great nations, together with their global partners, will prevail against this pandemic.
He said they have provided over $73 million to support Bangladesh’s pandemic response and to date have sent 100 state-of-the art-U.S.-manufactured ventilators to treat critical patients.
Ambassador Miller also gave a shout-out to his alma mater, the University of Michigan: “Go Blue!”
The US virtually launched a webinar series linking medical universities in Bangladesh and the United States to share best practices in COVID-19 case management.
The two part-series contributes to the Strengthening Public Health Cooperation for a Safer Economy goal outlined in the September 30 high-level consultation between United States and Bangladesh, specifically by developing a Vision for Advancing the U.S.-Bangladesh Economic Partnership.
Tuesday’s webinar was organized via partnership between the Directorate General of Health Services of the Government of Bangladesh and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Project ECHO, a platform for distant mentoring and learning managed by the University of New Mexico.
Also read: US committed to work with Bangladesh to end trafficking-in-persons: Miller
It is one of multiple capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing the knowledge and medical skills of doctors and other frontline workers in both public and private health facilities to improve the care given to COVID-19 patients and reduce and control the spread of the infection funded over the past year.
The programme is made possible through over $73 million in COVID-19 response assistance from U.S. government agencies, according to the US Embassy in Dhaka.
US Ambassador joins student leadership workshop in Rajshahi
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller and Rajshahi Additional Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Sujayet Islam joined a 'Student Leadership Development Workshop' held in Rajshahi.
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