Nowon-gu Establishes Visiting Infectious Disease Management System
Infection Control Hotline Set Up in Junggye-dong Academy District, On-site Consulting Provided to 50 Academies
On-site Education and Free Tuberculosis Screening for 247 Senior Citizen Centers in Blind Spots of Elderly Tuberculosis Screening
Customized Mosquito Prevention Consulting and Support for 143 Apartment Complexes
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will establish a visiting infectious disease management system in the post-COVID-19 era.
This is to prepare for the resurgence of COVID-19 or new infectious diseases and to minimize the occurrence of tuberculosis, mosquito-borne infectious diseases, and others in advance.
The district focused on the increasing elderly population in Korea along with the rising incidence and mortality of tuberculosis, the fact that it is the third-largest district in Seoul in terms of population aged 65 and over, and that although it has a representative academy district in Seoul concentrated in Junggye-dong, unlike schools, systematic management and supervision are difficult, limiting early infectious disease response. Based on these factors, Nowon-gu has embarked on establishing its own infectious disease management system.
The main initiatives include ▲ establishing a hotline with the Junggye-dong academy district ▲ on-site free tuberculosis screening for elderly blind spots ▲ customized mosquito prevention consulting for apartment complexes.
First, the district will provide infectious disease consulting and open a hotline in the Junggye-dong academy district. During the COVID-19 pandemic, academies showed clear limitations in early response due to difficulties in rapid status assessment and response, unlike schools.
Accordingly, the district will establish a hotline with academies to prepare a response system for infectious disease resurgence.
The top 50 academies in terms of local enrollment are targeted. By September, officials will visit these academies directly to assess the current status including the number of students, internal structure, meal provision methods, management personnel, CCTV locations, and the level of infection prevention practices, and provide regular infection management methods through on-site consultations.
Additionally, a rapid communication system will be established with academy quarantine managers to enable swift communication and response in case of infectious disease outbreaks.
On-site education and free screening will also be conducted for vulnerable groups in tuberculosis screening blind spots. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death among legally designated infectious diseases in 2020, with a fatality rate exceeding 10% among the elderly aged 65 and over.
Therefore, the district will sequentially visit 247 senior citizen centers. This is to detect tuberculosis patients early among vulnerable groups and to raise awareness about the overall concept of tuberculosis and the necessity of annual screening.
Furthermore, customized mosquito prevention consulting will be provided to 143 apartment complexes with more than 300 households. Due to global temperature rise and the expansion of heated spaces, environments where mosquitoes can breed year-round, not just in summer, have been created, increasing the need for efficient mosquito control.
Two teams from the public health center’s quarantine task force will tour each apartment complex to diagnose mosquito breeding sources such as water tanks, septic tanks, and sewage systems. They will also provide tailored guidance on blocking and managing mosquito breeding sources through support of pest control technologies and supplies such as larvicides and insect screens. A close communication system will be maintained to provide continuous assistance.
The district expects that by cultivating pest control management capabilities in apartment complexes, residents’ inconveniences will be reduced and mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and malaria can be prevented in advance.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “Infectious disease management like COVID-19 requires proactive response and residents’ cooperation the most,” adding, “We will continue to respond proactively to infectious disease prevention to create a safe Nowon where residents can live with peace of mind.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
