DU Correspondent

A two-day international conference on ' International Conference on Appropriate Technology for Healthcare in LMICs (ICATH-LMIC 2026) ' on the innovation and effective application of affordable, accessible and sustainable technologies for healthcare in low- and middle-income countries ( LMICs ) has begun on Sunday morning, at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of Dhaka University.

The inaugural ceremony of the conference was graced by the Chief Guest, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain, MP.

The special guests at the event were Prof. Dr. A. B. M. Obaidul Islam, Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, Prof Dr. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Prof Dr. F. M. Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), Prof A. K. Azad Khan, President and National Professor of Bangladesh Diabetic Society, Dr. Ahmed Jamshid Mohamed, Country Representative of the WHO Bangladesh Office, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Sheffield, UK.

The event was presided over by Professor Syed Akram Hossain, Chairman of the Department of Clinical Oncology, Bangladesh Medical University. Honorary Professor Khondaker Siddique-e Rabbani, Department of Biomedical Physics and Technology, University of Dhaka, is serving as the Chairman of the conference. He presented the keynote address in the inaugural session. In addition, Professor Toufique Hasan, Chairman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), also presented a paper.

The conference was jointly organized by the Department of Biomedical Physics and Technology, University of Dhaka, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Department of Clinical Oncology, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), BIBEAT Ltd. and Relevant Science and Technology Society, Bangladesh.

Speaking as the chief guest at the conference, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said that Bangladeshi scientists, doctors and engineers have the capacity to innovate modern and effective technologies in the health sector even with limited resources.

He said that scientists, researchers, doctors and entrepreneurs should work together to invent affordable and suitable health technologies for the people of remote areas of the country. He expressed hope that these innovations will play an important role in improving the quality of healthcare in the country, saving foreign exchange and public welfare.

Speaking as a special guest, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. ABM Obaidul Islam said, "The main goal of higher education and research should be the application of knowledge and innovation for human welfare. Inventing affordable, accessible and sustainable health technologies for the people of low and middle income countries is an important need of the present time."

Renowned scientists, researchers, doctors, engineers, policymakers and health sector experts from various countries including Bangladesh are participating in the conference. The two-day conference will discuss various aspects of technology, innovation, research, policy support and international cooperation for healthcare.