International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research/Bangladesh

Special PES covers the period 12/79-12/82 and was prepared by a multidisciplinary A.I.D. team which visited ICDDR/B, participated in an internal review by ICDDR/B"s Board of Trustees, and visited each of ICDDR/B"s field stations. ICDDR/B"s scientific research is of excellent quality and great significance and is likely to remain so. A.I.D. should therefore continue to provide generous core support to ICDDR/B. A.I.D. should also, however, identify and support other LDC institutions that could undertake scientific and operational research on diarrheal diseases. ICDDR/B could assist in developing these new programs. ICDDR/B"s program is generally balanced and appropriate. There seems to be a lack of expertise in epidemiology and immunology, but remedial action is expected soon. The A.I.D. team was concerned about the use of core funds to support operational research and health service provision, but bilateral and other categorical funding is expected to provide most of this support. Although ICDDR/B"s role as a training institution is unique, the Centre agrees with the A.I.D. team that practical, field-based and laboratory bench training should take precedence over more structured learning experiences. Finally, constraints to disease surveillance and health services research posed by lack of computer hardware and of a senior epidemiologist should be removed.