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S. Korea: Gov't to Step Up Fight on Infectious Diseases |
| Source: |
koreatimes.co.kr |
| Source Date: |
Friday, September 07, 2012 |
| Focus: |
ICT for MDGs
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| Country: |
Korea (Republic of) |
| Created: |
Sep 11, 2012 |
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The government plans to initiate research and development (R&D) to tackle infectious diseases more effectively, the finance minister said Friday.
Minister of Strategy and Finance Bahk Jae-wan said during a crisis management meeting at the Gwacheon Government Complex Friday that the government will step up measures to control nationwide pandemics.
The government wants to acquire the best technology available, with this plan due to run until 2040.
The measure comes as the government believes the spread of diseases can have a negative impact on the country’s economy. A day earlier, global ratings agency Fitch Ratings upgraded the country's sovereign credit rating by one notch from "A+" to "AA-," the fourth-highest on its scale.
The government will invest in taking preventative steps against infectious diseases in eight particular fields until 2016. They are novel swine-origin influenza A (H1N1), super bacteria, tuberculosis, zoonosis such as Brucella and rabies, AIDS, diseases that flourish due to by climate change, bio-terrorism, and infectious diseases of unknown origins.
“Infectious diseases not only harm people’s health but also hinder social stability as well as lower our sovereign credit rating. It can also threaten the nation’s economy,” Bahk said at the meeting.
“As the possibility of national pandemics occurring due to unexpected climate change is more threatening, the government sees the need to come up with countermeasures. We hope the research and development efforts will protect the public’s health.”
The occurrence rate of tuberculosis and hepatitis B in Korea is the highest among the OECD countries.
The government sees the development of vaccines and medicines for bioterrorism as important, as well as real-time detection technology.
Disease prevention technology, disease-diagnosing biochips, body imaging technology, and finding a cure for AIDS will be the top focus areas of the development projects.
The current system centered on individual diseases will be changed into a comprehensive one where experiment and research will be shared through a network. A pan-departmental committee for R&D on infectious diseases formed in 2010 will be utilized more effectively to activate cooperation and exchanges between government departments.
Bahk also discussed other issues such as “how to effectively provide financial support in job creation projects” and “how to alleviate discrimination in the service industry” at the meeting.
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S. Korea: Gov't to Step Up Fight on Infectious Diseases The government plans to initiate research and development R&D; to tackle infectious diseases more effectively the finance minister said Friday
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