On May 1, Dr. Youngmee Jee, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) met with the CEO and high-level delegates of the Gulf Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) at the KDCA headquarters in Osong. This marked the first in-person meeting between the two agencies and was convened to explore ways for collaboration in infectious disease response and further cooperation.

During the meeting, Dr. Jee shared the overview of each agency’s systems and policies for managing infectious diseases and discussed fields of collaboration, including surveillance of emerging infectious diseases, combating public health threats, and strengthening the capacity of epidemiological investigators. Specifically, the meeting laid the foundation for a sustainable collaboration network, recognizing the importance of collaboration considering the Middle East’s climate and health challenges and the threat of zoonotic diseases.

Dr. Jee stated, “Infectious diseases are challenges that no single country can tackle alone. A strategic partnership with the Gulf CDC will not only help strengthen surveillance and response capacities for infectious diseases in the Middle East, but also bolster Korea’s own disease prevention system.”