On 27 May 2019, H.E. Mrs Arunrung Phothong Humphreys, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Bangladesh, hosted a Dinner in honour of Professor John D. Clemens, Executive Director of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), as Prince Mahidol Award 2018 Laureate.The Dinner was attended by officials from icddr,b, the General Manager of Thai Airways International in Dhaka, spouse of Ambassador, and the Royal Thai Embassy officials. 

On this occasion, the Ambassador congratulated Professor Clemens on receiving the Award and commended his tireless efforts and outstanding research done with his fellow Prince Mahidol Award Laureate, Professor Jan R. Holmgren, Director of the Gothenburg University Vaccine Research Institute, in developing oral cholera vaccine (OCV). Their breakthrough research helped to prevent the spread of cholera and saved millions of lives worldwide. 

The Prince Mahidol Award, under the Royal Patronage, was established in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of His Royal Highness Prince Songkla, on 1 January 1922, the Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health of the country who made tremendous contributions to modernising Thailand’s health and medical care.