보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Minister Rim, Chae Min announced the willingness to increase the aid for health care and medicine in low income countries at the 65^th World Health Assembly.

 

- He discussed ways to strengthen cooperation with representatives of the Health Authorities in Laos, Mongol, Cambodia and Vietnam -

 

Rim, Chae Min, Minister of Health and Welfare, expressed the need of cooperation of the

international society and the Korean government’s strong willingness to make a contribution to it

in order to ensure health care service for everyone in the world in a keynote address at the 65^th

World Health Assembly that was held in Geneva, Switzerland on 22 May (Tue.). 

 

First of all, Minister Rim emphasized that the aid from the international society needs to be

expanded to help low income countries develop health care and medical capacity so that they

can resolve their healthcare problems on their own.

 

Korea is providing assistance to low income countries in preparing their health care systems and

training healthcare personnel based on its past experiences of having received assistance from

the international society and it is planning to increase the size of ODA in health care and

medical areas. 

 

Also, Minister Rim suggested that WHO member states share their experiences of developing

health care systems in their own countries and overcome challenges such as the reinforcement

of the coverage of health care service and an increase of financial spending resulting from

population aging, etc.

 

In addition, Minister Rim met with Laos Health Minister, Mongolian Health Minister,

Cambodian Health Vice Minister, and Vietnamese Health Vice Minister and exchanged opinions

on bilateral relations and ODA cooperation development actions with them on 21st and 22nd.   

 

These four countries are major countries that are subject to Korea’s health care and medicine

ODA cooperation and Ministry of Health and Welfare is carrying out healthcare system

reinforcement-centered maternal and child health care program and “Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship”

which is a mid- and long-term training program for health care workers through its affiliated

assistance organization, the Korea Foundation for Health Care.

 

Minister Rim proposed ways to regularize cooperation channels among Health Ministries, asking

about opinions of the cooperation partner countries regarding Korea’s direction and details in

ODA program and expressing the intention of sharing Korea’s development experiences at a

wider level with them.

 

In response to this, representatives of the recipient countries shared a willingness to strengthen

bilateral cooperative relations in health care while expressing their gratitude for Korea’s

assistance that is focused on help them build up their self-capacity to develop.

 

The World Health Assembly is scheduled until 26 May this time. The consecutive appointment of

Margaret Chan, the present Director General, and discussion on WHO reform initiative for

improvement of WHO efficiency and strengthening of its leadership in health care as well as

health care issues such as control of chronic diseases, etc will be done at the assembly.