Ministry of Foreign Affairs Promotes 'Development Cooperation Initiative' for Mid- to Long-Term COVID-19 Response Support

Support for Strengthening Infectious Disease Capacity in Developing Countries Worth 36 Billion Won Targeting Priority Quarantine Cooperation Countries and Organizations

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 29th that it will promote the 'Development Cooperation Initiative for a Safe World Together (ODA KOREA)' as a development cooperation strategy to support developing countries' response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and mid- to long-term sustainable development.

The core of this development cooperation initiative consists of three main areas: △ humanitarian aid △ health cooperation targeting priority quarantine cooperation countries and organizations △ support for responding to economic and social impacts. The government plans to realize the TEAM KOREA model in the health and medical ODA sector by strengthening linkages between projects through close collaboration among related domestic ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will first implement the 'Comprehensive Emergency Support Program for COVID-19 Response' as a grant aid project worth a total of 36 billion KRW this year. Specifically, it includes focused support for four countries?Indonesia (New Southern Policy), Uzbekistan (New Northern Policy), Ethiopia (Africa), Colombia (Latin America)?five ASEAN official development assistance (ODA) recipient countries (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines), and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "The countries and organizations selected for support this year were comprehensively considered based on our government's policy priorities, the need to strengthen health capacities, and bilateral relations," adding, "We also plan to consider expanding the target countries in response to international community cooperation demands in the future."

This program plans to provide comprehensive support by packaging the following support elements beyond simple quarantine material aid, through establishing a cooperative system with governments, civil society, and international organizations to strengthen the COVID-19 response capacity and infectious disease prevention capabilities of the recipient countries in a practical and sustainable manner: △ expansion of COVID-19 response medical facilities, △ provision of diagnostic equipment and medical devices, △ education and training of medical personnel, and △ support to strengthen the capacity to respond to vulnerable groups locally.

The detailed program will be concretized through consultations with the recipient country governments and relevant international organizations and will be tailored to local needs and circumstances.

For Indonesia and ASEAN countries (New Southern Policy), an ‘ASEAN Online Special Training for COVID-19 Response’ will be launched, supporting capacity building for COVID-19 hub hospitals and programs specialized to each country's needs. Uzbekistan (New Northern Policy) will receive comprehensive consulting covering legal and institutional improvements, hospital management, and medical staff training through dispatching our expert team to support the establishment of a quarantine model based on existing close cooperation in the health sector.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "This program will include our COVID-19 response models and innovative products such as screening clinics, walk-through testing, self-quarantine apps, and negative pressure carriers, expecting the spread of our COVID-19 response experience," and added, "Going forward, the government aims to contribute to the international community's COVID-19 response efforts in the spirit of 'solidarity and cooperation' by timely and practical expansion of quarantine ODA cooperation in the COVID-19 crisis."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.