A five-member delegation from Oxford-Bangladesh Sepsis Research (OBSR) successfully completed a week-long academic exchange under the prestigious Sakura Science Exchange Program 2026, hosted by Rakuno Gakuen University (RGU), Japan, under the leadership of Professor Kohei Makita, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology.
The delegation included Dr. Refath Farzana (Team Lead), Dr. Nafia Tasnim, Dr. Tahmina Nasren Shatu, Dr. Mosammat Naiela Rahman Nabila, and Dr. Anika Tabassum Promi. The program, held from 21–28 February 2026 in Sapporo, Japan, aimed to strengthen expertise in epidemiology, food safety risk analysis, Bayesian statistics, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risk assessment, while fostering long-term research collaboration between Bangladesh and Japan.
Advanced Training in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis
The program began with an orientation highlighting Prof. Makita’s work at the WOAH Collaborating Centre for Food Safety Risk Analysis, demonstrating how epidemiological research supports rural development and informs global health policy.
Participants received intensive training in Statistics in Epidemiology, covering epidemiological study designs, measures of disease frequency, relative risk (RR), odds ratio (OR), prevalence estimation, and risk factor analysis. Practical sessions using R and RStudio enabled the delegation to apply statistical tools to real-world public health scenarios. Further sessions focused on Food Safety Risk Analysis: hazard identification, exposure assessment, hazard characterization, and risk characterization.
The delegation also participated in advanced instruction on Bayesian statistics and stochastic risk modeling, including Monte Carlo simulation, probability distributions, and uncertainty analysis. These methodologies illustrated how probabilistic modeling strengthens decision-making in complex public health and food safety contexts.
Focus on Antimicrobial Resistance
A central highlight of the exchange was training on AMR Risk Assessment using the WOAH framework. Sessions explored release, exposure, and consequence assessment models, alongside case studies on colistin resistance (mcr gene) in Japan. The discussions demonstrated how quantitative risk assessment can guide rational antimicrobial use policies and promote sustainable healthcare and agricultural practices.
Practical AMR Risk Assessment Exercise
As part of the program, the delegation conducted a structured AMR risk assessment under the supervision of Dr. Refath Farzana. The team identified the hazard as the emergence of AMR bacteria due to inappropriate antimicrobial use in healthcare settings. Following analysis of transmission pathways and qualitative risk characterization, the overall risk was assessed as high among critically ill patients.
On 26 February, the team presented their findings at Rakuno Gakuen University. Dr. Refath Farzana also delivered a presentation on OBSR’s research initiatives, followed by a webinar titled “Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance in Resource-Limited Countries.” The session highlighted Bangladesh’s ongoing efforts in AMR research, surveillance, and policy engagement.
Strengthening Global Health Partnerships
Beyond academic engagement, the program fostered meaningful cultural exchange and dialogue on future collaboration in One Health research, AMR surveillance, and food safety modeling.
The Sakura Science Exchange Program 2026 significantly enhanced technical capacity in epidemiological modeling, Bayesian analysis, and risk assessment methodologies for the OBSR delegation. More importantly, it strengthened institutional ties between Bangladesh and Japan, laying a strong foundation for sustained scientific collaboration in antimicrobial resistance and food safety research.