[케이에스피뉴스=양건영 의학전문기자 kspa@kspnews.com] The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will hold the ‘2024 Infectious Disease Control Conference’ at Inspire Resort in Incheon for two days, November 21st and 22nd.
At this event, meritorious people and organizations dedicated to national infectious disease management will be rewarded, and approximately 1,200 infectious disease officials from across the country, including infectious disease-related private experts, organizations, and national public officials, will participate to share knowledge and experience on infectious disease prevention and management and discuss future development directions. discuss.
This event will begin with a commemorative ceremony, followed by a government award ceremony for those of merit, keynote lectures by experts, discussions by field (Ⅰ·Ⅱ), and a local government policy proposal contest.
At the Merit Awards Ceremony, 269 individuals, including health care workers and public officials, who have devoted themselves to national infectious disease prevention and control, and 10 organizations, including 8 local governments with excellent infectious disease prevention and control, will be awarded.
This year’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Merit Medal was awarded to Professor Lee Moo-sik of Konyang University in recognition of his contribution to epidemiological investigation and community quarantine, and to Incheon Metropolitan City Naeun Hospital nurse Park Hyo-seon for her contribution to the management of infected people and prevention of infection in high-risk groups. Receives national award.
Professor Lee Moo-sik of Konyang University, a medal winner, gave a keynote lecture on “Healthcare policy tasks in preparation for the new infectious disease Disease Suggests the need for reinforcement.
Discussions by sector will be held over two days, divided into Parts I and II, with eight sessions, including preparation of the vaccination policy base. At the same time, four promotional booths, including ‘Promotion of Opening of Infectious Disease Big Data’, will also be operated.
On the first day, the discussion by sector (Part Ⅰ) included ▲Establishment of vaccination policy basis and measures to increase vaccination rate, ▲Communication to prevent infectious diseases in the community, ▲Performance report on the establishment and operation of a 24-year national sewage-based infectious disease surveillance system, ▲Status of domestic pertussis outbreaks, and Presentations and best practices on four topics, including monitoring and management plans, are introduced, and central and local government officials and academic experts discuss expert suggestions and future directions. Collect opinions.
On the second day, discussion by field (Part Ⅱ) discussed four topics: ▲Preparation and response to bioterrorist infectious disease crisis, ▲Introduction of hospital bed allocation system and VR-based education and training system, ▲Syphilis epidemiological investigation and management system, and ▲National Research Institute of Infectious Diseases research status. Expert knowledge sharing, new system promotion and discussion will be held.
In particular, at this year’s event, an infectious disease prevention and control policy proposal contest will be held, and the top 21 ideas selected through the first internal committee review out of a total of 30 ideas will be displayed at the event venue. Public health center practitioners and researchers actively participated and submitted creative and practical ideas such as ‘infectious disease prevention and management chatbot’, ‘escape room epidemiological investigation game project’, and ‘infectious disease prevention education and training using metaverse’. QR code on-site during the event Excellent ideas will be selected through voting.
Director Ji Young-mi of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency expressed her gratitude to the attendees of the infectious disease conference and said, “Through this conference, experts from the private, public, and academic sectors related to infectious diseases will share vivid experiences in the field and the latest research results, and discuss the direction of development of Korea’s infectious disease management system.” “I hope this will be a meaningful opportunity to explore future infectious disease response strategies.”
**How does the Korean government, as represented by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, plan to integrate the innovative ideas generated from the policy proposal contest into existing public health infrastructure?**
## Interview: Shaping the Future of Infectious Disease Management in Korea
**(Featured Guests):**
* **Professor Lee Moo-sik,** Konyang University, Recipient of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Merit Medal
* **Director Ji Young-mi,** Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
**Introduction:**
Welcome to today’s interview, where we delve into the vital discussions stemming from the ’2024 Infectious Disease Control Conference’. We’ll be joined by two esteemed figures: Professor Lee Moo-sik, a leading expert in epidemiology and community quarantine, and Director Ji Young-mi, at the helm of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
**Section 1: Recognizing Excellence & Contributions**
**(Interviewer):** Professor Lee, congratulations on receiving the prestigious Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Merit Medal. What does this recognition mean to you, and what message do you hope it sends to the wider community about the importance of infectious disease prevention?
**(Interviewer, to Director Ji):** Director Ji, this year’s conference honored numerous individuals and organizations. What criteria were used to select these recipients, and what common threads connect their achievements?
**Section 2: Key Challenges & Emerging Priorities**
**(Interviewer, to Professor Lee):** Your keynote lecture focused on healthcare policy tasks in preparation for new infectious diseases. Could you elaborate on the most pressing challenges you see on the horizon and what innovative strategies need to be implemented to address them?
**(Interviewer, to Director Ji):** The conference highlighted discussions on topics like vaccination policy, community communication, and bioterrorism preparedness. Which of these areas do you believe requires the most urgent attention and dedicated resources?
**Section 3: Fostering Collaboration & Innovation**
**(Interviewer):** The conference featured a unique policy proposal contest, encouraging creative solutions from practitioners and researchers. Director Ji, how do you envision these innovative ideas being implemented and scaled up to benefit the larger population?
**(Interviewer, to Professor Lee):** What role do you believe academic institutions and research play in bridging the gap between scientific discoveries and practical application in the field of infectious disease management?
**Section 4: Looking Ahead: The Future of Infectious Disease Control in Korea**
**(Interviewer, to both guests):** Based on the insights and discussions generated at this conference, what do you envision as the biggest trends and developments shaping the future of infectious disease control in Korea over the next decade?
**(Interviewer):** What key message would you like to leave our audience with regarding the importance of continued vigilance, collaboration, and innovation in the face of ever-evolving infectious disease threats?
**(Closing):**
Thank you, Professor Lee and Director Ji, for these insightful perspectives. The ‘2024 Infectious Disease Control Conference’ has undoubtedly served as a catalyst for critical dialogue and collaborative action. We look forward to witnessing the continued progress in safeguarding public health in Korea.
