Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and UK Health Security Agency Collaborate on AI-Based Infectious Disease Response

High-Level Policy Dialogue on AI Utilization, Data Governance, and Pandemic Preparedness

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on March 4 that it has renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UK Health Security Agency in London, UK, on March 2 (local time) to enhance cooperation on infectious disease response and health security.

Seungkwan Lim, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (left), and Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor of the UK Health Security Agency, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation on infectious disease preparedness, response, and health security on the 2nd in London. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

The UK Health Security Agency is responsible for overseeing infectious disease response and health security in the United Kingdom, managing pandemic preparedness, crisis response, and establishing science-based policies. Since signing the MOU in 2022 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea and the UK have been strengthening their cooperation in areas such as infectious disease surveillance and control, laboratory capacity building, antimicrobial resistance response, One Health, public health education, and expert exchanges.

The renewed MOU expands on the previous agreement by specifying an increased scope and level of cooperation, including: ▲data-driven policy making, ▲AI-powered predictive analytics, and ▲collaboration on climate health and other health sectors.

To achieve these goals, both agencies have agreed to continue exchanging relevant data and case studies, to operate high-level policy dialogues and regular meetings, and to consistently monitor and advance institutional cooperation agendas. Through these efforts, they aim to strengthen practical capabilities and maintain an active institutional cooperation network at all times.

During the high-level policy dialogue that followed the MOU signing ceremony, Chief Data Officer Steven Riley of the UK Health Security Agency participated in an in-depth discussion on the use of AI technology in the field of infectious diseases, the advancement of an integrated data-based response system, and strategies for future pandemic preparedness, sharing the current status and exploring future directions.

Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor of the UK Health Security Agency, stated, “Korea and the UK face common challenges in the field of health security, and by strengthening our partnership as important strategic collaborators, we can not only help protect the health of our citizens but also continuously enhance resilience against global health threats. This agreement is a joint commitment to advancing global health security based on science and data.”

Seungkwan Rim, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, “The UK possesses world-class capabilities in infectious disease science, data analytics, and pandemic preparedness strategies. With the renewal of this MOU, we will further solidify strategic cooperation between our agencies and work together to develop a scientific infectious disease response system utilizing advanced technologies such as AI, thereby contributing to the enhancement of global health security.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.