BanglaChronicles Podcast: Dr Firdausi Qadri — Vaccine Pioneer and Global Health Champion

Dr Firdausi Qadri is among the most consequential scientists Bangladesh has produced. Her research at icddr,b developed an oral cholera vaccine that costs $1.50 per dose and has been used to protect 100 million people in 50 countries across Africa and Asia. She has received the Ramon Magsaysay Award and L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science.

On Cholera and the Developing World

"Cholera kills 100,000 people annually — almost entirely in the developing world. It is a disease of poverty, of inadequate water and sanitation. Our vaccine could not be $50 per dose. It had to be $1.50. Otherwise it would sit on a shelf and people would die."

On Being a Woman in Science in Bangladesh

"When I started my career, there were very few women in laboratory science in Bangladesh. I did not see that as a barrier — I saw it as an opportunity. Every door I opened made it easier for the woman who came behind me. That responsibility kept me going when things were difficult."

On Bangladesh's Scientific Potential

"Bangladesh has extraordinary scientific talent. What it needs is sustained investment, institutional support and a culture that celebrates scientists the same way it celebrates cricketers. Our researchers who choose to stay and work here are among the bravest people I know."