Meet the Bangladeshi Scientist Who’s Helping the World Fight Cholera

Cholera has made a comeback the past few years, driven in part by human conflict and climate change. Dozens of countries have seen outbreaks. Cheap oral cholera vaccines exist, but they are in short supply because there is no money in vaccines for diseases of the poor. If not properly treated, cholera can kill within a day.

Few scientists know the disease as well as Firdausi Qadri. A senior researcher at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, she has studied cholera for most of her career. Colleagues from outside Bangladesh call her a “scientific giant” and the “godmother” of the cholera field.  Qadri has played an important role in the introduction of the current generation of cheap oral vaccines and has been a powerful advocate for their widespread use.

Martin Enserink traveled to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to see Qadri in action and take stock of the global fight against this ancient scourge.