Lee: International cooperation essential to responding to infectious diseases; meets WHO chief

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung met with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the 21st and emphasized the need for international cooperation to prevent infectious diseases and respond to them jointly. He said South Korea would expand its role and contributions in global health and broaden the scope of its cooperation with the WHO.
In a written briefing, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Seong-wan said President Lee met with Director-General Tedros at Cheong Wa Dae that afternoon and discussed healthcare cooperation and the status of the Ebola response in Africa, among other topics.
President Lee said infectious diseases are a challenge for the international community that cannot be addressed through the efforts of any one country alone, and that close coordination is essential for prevention and a joint response.
Director-General Tedros agreed, citing the WHO Global Biomanufacturing Training Hub established in South Korea as a major achievement of cooperation. He said at least 4,000 people from around 100 countries had received training related to vaccines and therapeutics through the hub.
President Lee also spoke of South Korea’s experience in developing from a country that received support from the international community into a major contributor. He asked Director-General Tedros to take an interest in enabling talented South Koreans to contribute more to the WHO.
Director-General Tedros agreed that the contributions and roles of WHO member states should be appropriately reflected. Referring to cooperation with South Korea on artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, he stressed the importance of international cooperation that prioritizes equity in AI as well.
Both sides also praised the Seoul Declaration announced at the World Bio Summit, jointly hosted that day by South Korea and the WHO. President Lee asked about the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa and the response, and Director-General Tedros said the WHO was working closely with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to prevent its spread.
[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter