Dispersed 'Health Hazard Information'... KCDC Collects and Provides in One Place

'Health Risk Factor Information' from 15 Organizations and Over 40 Systems
Integrated Information System to Be Established Within the Year... Preventing Recurrence of Humidifier Disinfectant-Like Accidents

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 17th that it will establish an "Integrated Health Hazard Information System" (tentative name) within this year to provide integrated information related to health hazards in order to prevent the recurrence of damage caused by non-infectious diseases of unknown origin, such as the humidifier disinfectant incident.

Currently, information on various health hazard factors such as chemicals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals is provided through related websites, but the information is scattered across ministries or agencies, making integrated access difficult.

KDCA plans to collect information managed by multiple agencies in one place so that such health hazard information can be easily obtained from a single source and provided in an integrated manner.

Photo by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

The integrated information system will be built in phases. This year, health hazard information from about 40 systems operated by 15 government ministries and affiliated public institutions, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will be linked and provided based on internet addresses.

Next year, the system will directly provide processed detailed information through an open API (Public Data Portal) method, and by the year after next, it plans to provide real-time fusion and visualization of the collected information.

KDCA intends to expand the system’s functions to include management systems for reporting, monitoring, and epidemiological investigation of non-infectious diseases of unknown origin.

Ji Young-mi, Commissioner of KDCA, stated, "We will steadily establish institutional and systemic foundations at the government level to prepare for non-infectious diseases of unknown origin."