This year the theme of the conference is " Improving Child Health and Nutrition."

President Iajuddin Ahmed will inaugurate the three-day conference at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain will attend the function as special guest.

About 900 participants including world renowned scientists and experts in the field of diarrhoea and nutrition are expected to attend the conference.

This was disclosed at a press briefing organised by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB) at Sasakawa International Training Centre auditorium in the city yesterday.

Speaking at the briefing, experts said about 40,000 children die in diarrhoeal diseases in the country every year.

Dr David A Sack, director of ICDDRB, said the conference will focus on improving the child health and nutrition as 1.2 to 1.4 million children die worldwide in diarrhoeal diseases every year.

Besides, 45 to 52 percent children are born in Bangladesh with low birth weight due to lack of nutrition, he added.

Dr AKM Helal-uz-Zaman, joint secretary of the health and family welfare ministry, said the conference would help develop a comprehensive national nutrition programme.

Associate Director of ICDDRB Dr Mohammad Abdus Salam, Chief of Health and Nutrition of Unicef in Bangladesh Dr Kayode Oyegbite, Medical Officer of Who Dr George John Komba Kono, and Director General of Health Services Dr M Mahbubur Rahman also spoke.