"Endemic but Preparing for Next Infectious Disease"...KDCA Establishes Basic Plan for Next 5 Years

Advancing Infectious Disease Prevention and Management through Public-Private and Intergovernmental Collaboration

Endemic Era [Image Source=Yonhap News]

As the de facto endemic phase (periodic outbreak of infectious diseases) approaches, health authorities have prepared measures to respond to the unknown infectious disease (Disease X). The goal is to enhance infectious disease prevention and management through collaboration between the public and private sectors as well as between nations, aiming for a society safe from infectious diseases.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 8th that it has established the ‘3rd Basic Plan for Infectious Disease Prevention and Management (2023?2027)’ through the Infectious Disease Control Committee’s review to promote comprehensive and systematic infectious disease management policies. The basic plan, which outlines the KDCA’s policy goals and directions for the next five years, enables integrated infectious disease prevention and management policies between central and local governments. Since this basic plan is implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic, it reflects the experiences from the COVID-19 response process and changes in the domestic and international environment surrounding infectious diseases.

First, based on the COVID-19 response experience, the system for public health crisis preparedness and response capabilities for infectious diseases will be enhanced. Real-time monitoring and analysis of infectious diseases occurring and spreading overseas will be conducted, and the exchange of infectious disease surveillance information between countries through international organization networks will be activated. A pathogen genetic information database (DB) for each infectious disease will be accumulated to quickly identify new variants and conduct in-depth analysis.

One Health-based policies will be activated. One Health means communication and cooperation among various sectors to reduce disease risks originating from humans and animals. Accordingly, the KDCA will promote the enactment of a Prime Minister’s directive to establish an inter-ministerial cooperation system and conduct joint risk assessments on infection status between humans and animals and zoonotic infectious diseases. Protection and management of high-risk groups for infectious diseases will also be strengthened. Manuals for infectious disease prevention and management in residential facilities for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and the elderly will be revised, and an education system for managers and workers will be established.

Additionally, the KDCA plans to lead research on infectious disease diagnostic technologies as well as vaccines and therapeutics. Diagnostic testing methods for future infectious diseases that could be introduced and spread domestically will be proactively established. Core technologies for vaccine development, such as messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology capable of rapid response to new and variant infectious diseases, will be secured, and high value-added vaccine development will be promoted. The development of antiviral therapeutics that inhibit common infection mechanisms (cell entry, self-replication, release, etc.) of RNA viruses with high potential for new variants will be supported.

Legal and institutional frameworks will also be revised to reflect field opinions on infectious disease prevention and management. To respond efficiently to field demands and strengthen human rights protection, the Infectious Disease Prevention Act system will be reorganized. Roles of the main infectious disease response agencies (Ministry of Health and Welfare and KDCA), related agencies, and local governments will be refined by crisis stage, and governance will be established through improvements in crisis management organizations.

Efforts such as establishing a Global Health Security (GHS) coordination office will be pursued to strengthen international cooperation for infectious disease prevention and management. Comprehensive planning for infectious disease management research and development (R&D), including setting core pathogens and securing innovative technologies, will be conducted.

Jiyoungmi, Commissioner of the KDCA, stated, “We will establish detailed plans for each implementation strategy of the basic plan, and cities, provinces, and districts will prepare implementation plans tailored to local circumstances in connection with this.”