Three Schools Designated: Surveillance, Rapid Response, and Tailored Activities
Hotline Established Between Office of Education, Public Health Centers, and Schools
Gwangju City held the "Infectious Disease Prevention School Operation Council Meeting" on the 3rd at the city hall seminar room, attended by officials from related organizations such as the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Honam Disease Response Center and the City Office of Education. Photo by Gwangju City
Gwangju City will pilot the "Infectious Disease Prevention School" program at three local elementary schools to prevent infectious diseases such as chickenpox and pertussis.
On the 3rd, Gwangju City held a meeting of the "Infectious Disease Prevention School Operations Council" in the city hall seminar room. The council consists of Gwangju City, the Honam Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the City Office of Education, the Infectious Disease Management Support Group, public health centers, and elementary schools. The meeting was organized to discuss ways for related organizations to cooperate in preventing infectious diseases in elementary schools.
Recently, infectious diseases such as chickenpox and pertussis have been continuously occurring among school-aged children in Gwangju. In environments such as schools, where group living is common, there is a high risk of outbreaks if infectious disease management is inadequate. In particular, outbreaks within schools can affect the broader community, making it necessary to establish a more systematic prevention and rapid response system.
At the council meeting, it was decided to introduce the "Infectious Disease Prevention School" program for the first time this year and to pilot it at three elementary schools. The program will include: ▲ formation and operation of the operations council ▲ monitoring and rapid response system for infectious disease outbreaks ▲ enhanced infectious disease prevention education for students, staff, and parents ▲ customized prevention activities tailored to each school's characteristics.
The participating organizations also shared the background and key projects of the Infectious Disease Prevention School, and focused on discussing the roles and cooperation methods for each institution. Specific roles were assigned to each organization.
The city will establish a reporting and notification system for infectious diseases in schools and operate a hotline connecting the Office of Education, public health centers, and schools. The Infectious Disease Management Support Group will develop prevention education programs tailored to students and conduct infectious disease education. In cooperation with the Office of Education, they also plan to conduct a survey on parents' awareness of infectious diseases.
Under the guidance of school health teachers, the Infectious Disease Prevention School will promote various student-led infectious disease management activities. The Honam Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention will support education and response training for school staff. The City Office of Education will encourage school participation and strengthen administrative support, systematically enhancing the capacity to respond to infectious diseases in schools through inter-agency cooperation.
Kang Yunseon, Director of Public Health and Medical Services, said, "Through the operation of the Infectious Disease Prevention School, we will do our best to implement effective prevention activities and protect students' health," adding, "We hope that families and students will also take interest in infectious disease prevention, follow the guidelines, and actively participate in creating a healthy school environment."
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