icddr,b provides completely free, world-class healthcare to over 300,000 individuals annually across Dhaka, Matlab, and Teknaf. We treat life-threatening conditions like severe diarrhoea, pneumonia, and malnutrition, serving as a vital safety net for children and displaced populations. Your zakat support ensures that eligible muslim mothers or children are not turned away due to an inability to pay for medicine, food, or diagnostics.
The core challenge is managing severe, life-threatening diarrhea (such as Cholera and Rotavirus) in an effective, low-cost, and scalable way. In Bangladesh, the burden of diarrhoeal diseases is a story of dual realities: while the country is a global success story in reducing mortality (deaths), the morbidity (sickness) remains stubbornly high and is currently facing new challenges from climate change and antibiotic resistance.
Dhaka Hospital: Primarily tackles the high volume of urban patients, treating over 200,000 people annually. It serves as a testing ground for clinical protocols that can be used globally. Matlab Hospital: Addresses these issues in a rural context, serving as a pillar for the world's longest-running health and demographic surveillance site.
Diarrhoea is a primary driver of stunting. Repeated bouts prevent nutrient absorption during critical growth windows. Stunted children have 40% higher odds of contracting diarrhoea, creating a deadly "vicious cycle." Research from icddr,b shows that early-childhood diarrhoea is linked to impaired cognitive development and lower educational attainment later in life. Households, especially the poorest, face significant out-of-pocket expenses for medicine, transport, and lost working days.
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