보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ushering in a New Window of Health & Medical Cooperation with Pacific Islands

- First Korea-Pacific Islands Health Cooperation Conference held -

- Discussion of areas of cooperation such as universal health coverage, digital health, & NCDs management -

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Cho, KyooHong) and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare held the “First Korea-Pacific Islands Health Cooperation Conference” (hereinafter referred to as the “Cooperation Conference”) over three days from November 28 to 30 (Tuesday to Thursday).

This cooperative meeting marks the first time that the health ministries of Korea and Pacific Islands have met to discuss avenues to cooperate in healthcare, with 16 public health officials, including high-ranking directors, from nine Pacific Islands* and officials from the Western Pacific Region office of the World Health Organization (WHO) visiting Korea to participate.

* (In alphabetical order) Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

In May this year, the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit was held for the first time in Korea, where cooperative measures in various fields, including the health and medical fields were discussed with the Pacific Islands, a core region of the Indo-Pacific strategy. At this cooperative meeting, it is expected that the cooperative tasks in the health and medical fields discussed at the summit will take shape more substantially.

On the first day of the event, WHO Western Pacific Region office and domestic and foreign experts will gather at the Dragon City Hotel in Seoul to understand the current status of universal health coverage in the Pacific with focus on digital health and NCDs(non-communicable diseases) management, and share Korea's experience. On the second day, there will be site tours of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, National Health Insurance Service, and public health clinics located in Wonju, Gangwon-do to survey Korea's healthcare field. On the third day, the MOHW's public health and medical official development assistance (ODA) cooperative projects will be shared, and future areas of health and medical cooperation between Korea and Pacific Islands will be explored.

Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination Kim Hyejin of the MOHW said, “The Korea-Pacific Island Health and Medical Cooperation Meeting, being held for the first time now, is a meaningful opportunity to share and brainstorm about the challenges currently facing Korea and Pacific Islands in the fields of health and medical care.” As a show of the MOHW’s willing stance for cooperation, she said, “It is in the common interest of Korea and Pacific Islands to achieve universal health coverage, digital health, and NCDs management by working together, so we will readily share Korea’s experience to improve healthcare in the Pacific Island region.”///