Dhaka: OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani has said, through their science and technology department, they have named 10 centres of excellence, including ICDDR,B, in the OIC member countries.

‘Through our science and technology department, we’ve named 10 centres of excellence among which is ICDDR,B. We must congratulate you and all those who served before you for this amazing accomplishment,’ he said.

The OIC Secretary General said they want to explore how they can work together and help each other in their strategic areas such as disease prevention and control and emergency health situations.

Madani was leading a high-level delegation of the OIC along with Ambassador Abdul Moiz Bokhari and visited ICDDR,B's Mohakhali compound in the city on Sunday, said a press release on Monday.

The visit was in recognition of the organisation’s status as one the 10 centres of scientific excellence across 57 member states.

ICDDR,B Executive Director Professor John Clemens and its leading scientists and directorswelcomed the delegation.

Later, they visited the Dhaka Hospital and discussed the new low-cost medical science innovations being developed across the different research programmes, including new advances in cholera vaccines, clean delivery kits to reduce the risk of infection and maternal haemorrhage, and breathing support devices for babies with severe pneumonia.

Professor Clemens expressed enthusiasm for the ideas generated at the meeting and said, ‘As a highly collaborative organisation, we truly welcome this opportunity to develop a long-term collaborative partnership with the OIC and are extremely proud of being named one of the 10 centres of excellence across their member states.’

As an organisation of the global south, he said they are truly committed to south-south collaboration and look forward to working together in a number of ways in the future.